
Class 

Book._ 

Copyright If. 



CDWRIGHT DEPOSE 



THE 

LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT, 

AND POETRY OF 

PRECIOUS STONES 



BY 
CHARLES WELSH 

II 

EDITOR OF ** LOVE'S GARLAND, ' " THE LOVERS' CLOCK, 
"THE GOLDEN TREASURY OF IRISH SONGS," " THE 
FRAGRANT WEED," ETC., ETC. 



Iftew UJorft 
THE PLATT & PECK CO. 






Copyright 1912 by 
THE PLATT& PECK CO. 



©CU327746 



INTRODUCTORY 

Here is a chaplet of Precious Stones with 
which is entwined the poetic sentiments repre- 
sented by each, so arranged that the Gem and 
the sentiment it represents, or the sentiment it 
is wished to convey, and the Gem which ex- 
presses it, can easily be found. 

The Gems are arranged in their alphabetical 
order throughout the book, and the Index at 
the end furnishes other means of ready refer- 
ence. 

Many sources have been drawn upon in the 
making of this little book, and the compiler has 
been specially indebted to Miss H. J. Woodman's 
little book which was published some sixty years 
since. The authorities consulted are not all pre- 
cisely at one as to the language and sentiment 
represented by each and all of the Gems. Fash- 
ions change, and sentiments often change with 
them ; furthermore, there are so many different 
fancies, feelings, sayings and superstitions clus- 
iii 



INTRODUCTORY 

tering about Gems at different times and in dif- 
ferent countries that it would be impossible, and 
indeed scarcely useful to attempt to give them 
all. In the main the significance is generally 
agreed upon as given here. 

It is not claimed that this is a complete An- 
thology; it is but a posy gathered in the vast 
fields of Folk Lore and Song, which these beau- 
tiful gifts of nature to adorn our lives withal, 
and the sentiments they represent, have in- 
spired. And it is offered as another handy 
Lexicon of Love for those who wish to convey 
their sentiments to the object of their affection 
with delicate, tender, and true respect. The 
language of Love is vast and varied : eyes, lips, 
hands, all speak with no uncertain tone, and 
such silent tokens as Gems are not the least elo- 
quent, and not the least effective bearers of 
Love's message. 

Charles Welsh. 



IV 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Introductory iii 

Verse Dedicatory: A Casket of Jewels .... 7 

The Signification of Gems and Stones in a Gir- 
dle 9 

The Signification of Gems and Stones in a Dia- 
dem 10 

Birthday Jewelry: A Guide to Jewels for the 
Months .11 

Gems for the Bridal Ring 12 

The Etymology of Precious Stones .... . 14 

Gems and Their Composition ....... 15 

Pbecious Stones: Thedi Language, Sentiment and 
Poetry — Alphabetically Abranged from Agate 
to Zircon 17 

The Language and Sentiment of Precious Stones 125 



VERSE DEDICATORY 

A CASKET OF JEWELS 

I bring thee a casket of jewels fair, 
They were culled from the ocean, earth and air: 
In your golden tresses they may not shine, 
But gather them all for your spirit's shrine : 
They are gems from the boundless mine of 

thought ! 
With patience and skill into beauty wrought! 
I have hallowed them all with a prayer for thee, 
Then take them — memorial sweet of me ! 

Anon. 



PRECIOUS STONES 



SIGNIFICATION OF GEMS AND STONES IN A 
GIRDLE 

" Here is Coral for Godnesse, 
Here is rubie of right fulnesse, 
Here is Crystal of clearnesse. 

Love Song fsom The Harleian MSS. 



Agate — Safety. 

Basalt — Stability. 

Cachelono- — Truth. 

Diaspore — Warning. 

Egyptian Pebble — Bril- 
liancy. 

Fire Stone — Excitability. 

Granite — Eternity. 

Heliotrope — Wisdom. 

Iolite — Security. 

Jasper — Courage. 

Krokidolite — Constancy. 

Lapis Lazuli — Artistic 
Taste. 



Malachite — Cheerfulness. 
Nephrite — Health. 
Onyx — Conjugal Felicity. 
Porphyry — Endurance. 
Quartz-Agate — Security. 
Rose Quartz — Fortune. 
Sardonyx — Willingness. 
Turquoise — Cheerfulness. 
Ultramarine — Art. 
Verd- Antique — Worth. 
Wood-Opal — Simplicity. 
Xylotile — Discovery. 
Yellow Crystal — Fate. 
Zurlite — Coolness. 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



SIGNIFICATION OF GEMS AND STONES IN A 
DIADEM 



Rich and rare were the gems she wore, 

And a bright gold ring on her hand she bore; 

But, O, her beauty was far beyond 

Her sparkling gems or snow-white hand. 

Thomas Moore. 



Amethyst — Protection. 
Beryl — Happiness. 
Chrysoberyl — Charity. 
Diamond — Repentance. 
Emerald — Victory. 
Feldspar — Regularity. 
Garnet — Friendship. 
Hyacinth — Sleep. 
Idocrase — Constancy. 
Jacinth — Modesty. 
Kyanite — Truth. 
Lynx Sapphire — Proph- 
ecy. 
Milk Opal- Purity. 
Natrolite — Hope. 



Opal — Innocence. 

Pyrope — Kindness. 

Quartz — Guardianship. 

Ruby — Charity. 

Sapphire — Faith. 

Topaz — Fidelity. 

Uranite — Expectation. 

Vesuvianite — Constancy. 

Water Sapphire — For- 
tune. 

Xanthite — Constancy. 

Yellow Tourmaline — Pow- 
er. 

Zircon — Visions. 



10 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



BIRTHDAY JEWELRY.— A GUIDE TO THE 
JEWELS FOR THE MONTHS 

Each month is supposed to be under the influence of 
one of the precious stones, thus: 

January, Garnet — Constancy. 

February, Amethyst — Sincerity. 

March, Bloodstone — Courage. 

April, Diamond — Innocence. 

May, Emerald — Success in Love. 

June, Agate — Health and Long Life. 

July, Carnelian — Content. Ruby — Contented Mind. 

August, Sardonyx — Conjugal Felicity. 

September, Sapphire — Constancy. 

October, Opal — Hope and Good Luck. 

November, Topaz — Fidelity. Friends and Love. 

December, Turquoise — Prosperity 



11 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



GEMS FOR THE BRIDAL RING 

These sentiments and mottoes are from " The Lapi- 
darium" of Marbodus, a Latin poem of the eleventh 
century. They differ slightly from some of those given 
in the text of this collection. 

THE RING— PURE AND ENDLESS. 

This gem is pledge and image of my heart — 
A heart that looks and loves, though not in view; 

The jewel has a clearer, purer part; 
It may be harder, but is not more true. 

The Diamond — Virtue Invincible. 

Hardness invincible which nought can tame, 
Untouched by steel, unconquered by the flame. 

The Asbestos — Love. 

Kindled once, it no extinction knows; 
But with eternal fire, unceasing glows. 

The Beryl — Mutual Love. 

The most admired displays a softened beam 
Like tranquil sea, or olive's oily gleam; 
This potent gem, found in far India's mines, 
With mutual love the wedded couple binds. 

The Agate — Health and Long Life. 

The agate on the wearer strength bestows; 
With ruddy health his fresh complexion glows; 
Both eloquence and grace by it are given. 
He gains the favor both of earth and heaven. 

12 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

The Pearl — Purity. 

Prized as an ornament, its whiteness gleams, 
And well the robe and well the gold beseems. 

The Emerald — Constancy. 

Of all green things which bounteous Earth supplies, 
Nothing in greenness with the emerald vies; 
Unchanged by sun or shade, its lustre glows; 
The blazing lamp on it no dimness throws. 

The Carnelian — Patience. 

Fate has with virtues great its nature graced; 
Tied round the neck, or on the finger placed. 
Its friendly influence checks the rising fray, 
And chases spite and quarrels far away. 

The Opal — Hope. 

This stone for color might an emerald seem; 
But drops of blood diversify the green; 
It gifts the wearer with prophetic eye 
Into the future's darkest depths to spy. 

The Sapphire — Faith. 

As gem of gems, above all others placed, 
By Nature with superior honors graced; 
E'en Heaven is moved by its force divine 
To list to vows presented at its shrine. 

The Loadstone — Persuasion. 

The Loadstone peace to wrangling couples grants, 
And mutual love in wedded hearts implants; 
It gives the power to argue and to teach, 
Grace to the tongue, persuasion to the speech. 



13 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



THE ETYMOLOGY OF PRECIOUS STONES i 

BY GEORGE LYMAN KITTREDGE 

Professor of English in Harvard University 

For precious stone the Anglo-Saxons had a mysteri- 
ous word eorclan-stan. They also borrowed gemma 
from the Latin in the form gim and this survived as a 
native word till the fourteenth century. In that cen- 
tury, however, in which the influence of French and 
Latin was particularly strong, the word was remade and 
brought nearer to its Latin original, taking the form 
gemme. This remaking is usually said to have been 
under the influence of the French gemme (itself from 
the Latin), — but this is not so certain; for it is not possi- 
ble to separate Latin and French influence in a case like 
this. 

Jewel is certainly from the French. It is a diminutive 
of the Latin jocus (whence French jeu) and meant orig- 
inally "plaything." The names of different precious 
stones are of very various origin. [After giving sev- 
eral such examples as those scattered throughout this 
book Professor Kittredge concludes.] Most of these 
gem-names came, it will be remarked, from the East 
and reached England through Greece, Rome and France 
successively. This correctly represents the history of 
civilization in the matter of gems, except in one respect. 
We should make a mistake if we inferred that the 

1 From "Words and their "Ways in English Speech," by 
permission. 

14 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

English owed their knowledge of such things to the 
French. Anglo-Saxons had names for many gems de- 
rived directly from the Latin (as in the case of the 
word gem itself), but these words went out of use after 
the Norman Conquest, when the persons who continued 
to speak English had little occasion to talk of precious 
stones; and the words passed into the language again 
thi nigh the French. 



GEMS AND THEIR COMPOSITION 

The ruby is not called a ruby because it is red, for the 
topaz, which may be yellow or a delicate wine colour, 
and the sapphire, which is blue, are both rubies. The 
humble toiler consoling himself with his clay tobacco 
pipe, the potter moulding the plastic clay into shape up- 
on his magic wheel, or the delver in damp slate quarries, 
probably does not know that his pipe and his clay and 
his brittle slate are the very substance from which the 
flaming Oriental ruby, the mellow topaz and the rich 
sapphire are evolved; but such is the fact. They are 
among the most beautiful of gems, yet are but simple 
crystals of a siliceous earth — mere bits of alumina. 
The glorious blue light that lurks within the sapphire is 
the chemical action of one grain of iron on every 100 
grains of alumina. The red ruby owes its brightness 
and hue to a mingling of chromic acid with the parent 
clay. 

Different from the Oriental topaz is the topaz from 
Brazil, which, beautiful as it is, is nothing but a com- 
pound of silica or flint and alumina, which also make 
the garnet and largely compose the Occidental emerald 

15 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

and the beryl stone. These two stones also contain an 
earth known as glucina, so called because of the sweet- 
ness of the salts discovered in it. 

The diamond is the king of gems, a monarch blazing 
like the sun, and the opal is its moonlight queen. Yet, 
as everyone knows, the diamond is only a chip of coal 
and the opal, as every one does not know, is simply a 
mingling of silica and water. But the diamond is the 
spiritual evolution of coal, the realization of its highest 
being. Ten parts of water and ninety parts of silica 
combined in the mystic crucible of nature form the opal, 
the water giving to the gem that shifting, changeable, 
iridescent coloring which is the opal's peculiar charm. 
Who would imagine that the fire in the opal is not fire 
at all, but, of all things, water! And yet the silica that 
holds the radiant moisture captive is the common flint 
from which our forefathers struck the igniting sparks 
into their tinder boxes. 

But the opal is not the only precious stone that owes 
its being to flint. The amethyst, the cat's-eye, the 
Egyptian jasper — all are idealisations of the ultimate 
efforts of natural chemistry acting on silica. What is 
the lapis lazuli? A bit of common earth painted 
throughout with sulphuret of sodium. And the tur- 
quoise — what forms it? and how did it receive its soft, 
pale, blue color? The turquoise is phosphate of alumina, 
and copper in the earth gave it its lovely hue. Chrys- 
olite is the pure silicate of magnesia. Of the rare dec- 
orative stones and marbles if there were no carbonate 
of copper the seeker after malachite would find his 
search fruitless and the sculptor would sigh in vain for 
the matchless Carrara marble if there were no carbonate 
of lime. 



16 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



PRECIOUS STONES : THEIR LANGUAGE, 
SENTIMENT AND POETRY 



AGATE 

There are many different kinds of Agate. It is found 
in various parts of Europe, and in the East Indies. Its 
name is from a river Achates, in Sicily, near which it is 
found in abundance. 



These, these are they, if we consider well, 
That sapphires and the diamonds do excell; 
The pearl, the emerald, and the turkesse bleu, 
The sanguine corrall, amber's golden hiew, 
The crystall, jacinth, achate, ruby red." 

Taylor: The Waterspout (1630). 



Agate is supposed to render a person invisible and to 
turn the sword of foes against themselves. Thus it 
stands for safety and security, long life and health. 
The month of June is said to be under its influence. 
It was largely used by the Romans for signets as well 
as amulets. Its possession was said to enable the wearer 
to obtain the love of women, to heal the sick, to confer 
the gift of oratory, and it was accounted a certain anti- 
dote for poisons. 



17 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



LONG LIFE AND HEALTH 

The common ingredients of long life are: 
Great temperance, open air, 
Easy labor, little care. 

Sir Philip Sidney. 

Thy voice comes o'er my spirit like the rush 
Of the sweet waterfall that leaps and plays 
In the glad sunshine, when the tranquil hush 
Of summer noon is broken by the lays 
Of Nature's untaught minstrels. Life and health, 
To one so sweetly gifted ! Were thy brow 
Decked with the jewels which a nation's wealth 
Had purchased thee, the vain and weak might 

bow 
To do thee homage ; but the truth alone 
Gives value to Affection's whispered tone. 

Agate — The Fortification. — This is that brownish 
stone, the various colored stripes of which run in zig- 
zag or irregular angles, representing the ground plan of 
fortifications. It signifies 

CONSTANCY 

I am constant as the Northern Star; 
Of whose true fixed and resting quality 
There's no fellow in the firmament. 

Shakespeare: Julius Cesab. 
18 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

No never from this hour to part, 
We'll live and love so true, 
The sigh that rends thy constant heart 
Shall break thy Edwin's, too. 

Goldsmith: The Hermit. 

Oh ! deem him not inconstant, I know he cannot 

change, 
Nor ever from its chosen shrine allow his heart 

to range; 
But loving* once he loveth still through every 

coming hour, 
Nor flitteth like a butterfly from opening flower 

to flower ! 

Agate. — The Moss. — The lines upon this variety of 
Agate resemble moss, from which its name is derived. 
It typifies 

EARLY DEATH 

Death lies on her like an untimely frost 
Upon the sweetest flower of all the field. 
Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet. 

Early, bright, transient, chaste as morning dew, 
She sparkled, was exhaled, and went to Heaven. 
Young's Night Thoughts* 
19 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

How sweetly they slumbered! No sorrow was 

theirs, 
No burdensome thoughts, and no wearisome 

cares ! 
They left in the spring-time of being, while 

flowers 
Sprang cheerily up to embellish the hours. 
Bright, beautiful beings, we miss you on earth, 
We list for the sound of your innocent mirth ; 
The angels have led you in silence away — 
For us there are shadows — for you there is day ! 

Agate — The Rain-bow. — The curved stripes in this 
stone have the property of displaying rainbow colors 
when held towards the light. It stands for truth. 

ANSWER WITH CANDOR 

. . . . Honesty 
Needs no disguise or ornament ; be plain 

Otway. 

Madame, withouten many woordes, 
Once, I am sure, you will or no : 
And if you will, then leave your boordes, 

And use your wit and show it so. 



20 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

For with a beck you shall me call ; 

And if of ane that burns alway 
Ye have pitie, or ruth at all, 

Answere him faire with yea or nay. 
If it be nay, frendes as before, 

You shall an other man obtayne, 
And I myne own, and yours no more. 

Sir Thomas Wyatt. 

ALABASTER 

Is of various colors, though it is oftenest white and 
translucent. So called from Alabastron, in Upper 
Egypt, where it abounds. Hence it signifies purity.. 

Around her shone 
The light of love, the purity of grace 
The mind, the music breathing from her face ; 
The heart whose softness harmonized the whole ; 
And oh, that eye was in itself a soul ! 

Byron. 

Sweet beauty sleeps upon thy brow 

And floats before my eyes: 
As meek and pure as doves art thou 
Or beings of the skies. 

Robert Morris. 
21 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



AMAZON STONE 

Felspar (or Ice-Spar). — Its color is verdigris-green. 
It is found in Russia, and is classed as sacred in the 
East, and is supposed to drive away lunar influences; 
make its wearer regular and methodical and constant in 
friendship and good wishes. 

FRIENDSHIP 

The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried 
Grapple them by the soul, with hooks of steel. 
Shakespeare: Hamlet. 

Great souls by instinct to each other turn 1 
Demand alliance and in friendship burn. 

Addison: The Campaign. 

But friendship does two souls in one comprise ; 
Here in a full and constant tide doth flow 
All blessings man can hope to know ; 
Here in a deep recess of thought we find 
Pleasures which entertain, and which exalt the 

mind; 
Pleasures which do from well-tried friendship 

rise, 
Which make us happy as they make us wise. 

W. Dillon. 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



GOOD WISHES 

Be thy name most kindly spoken; 
May thy faith remain unbroken ; 
Be thy heart the home of pleasure, 
Bright with sunshine without measure; 
Be thy pathway strewn with roses, 
Fair as those which June discloses ; 
Be thy spirit's eye unshrouded, 
And its atmosphere unclouded ; 
Be thy peace unbroken ever ; 
Be thy home in Heaven forever ! 

AMBER 

Usually presents some shade of yellow in its color, 
from which it sometimes passes to reddish-brown. 
According to the legend it is a concretion of tears of 
the birds who never ceased weeping for the death of 
their brother Meleager. 

Around thee shall glisten the loveliest amber 
That ever the sorrowing sea-bird hath wept. 

T. Moore. 
From the earliest times it has been used as an amulet, 
and as a panacea for a number of diseases — deaf- 
ness, dropsy, toothache, sore throat, etc. The Shah of 
Persia wears a cube of amber, said to have fallen from 
Heaven in the time of Mahomet, which is said to render 
him invulnerable. 

23 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



DISDAIN 

In the flash of her glances were passion and 
pride, 
In the curve of her lip there was haughty 
contempt 
As she spoke of the power to riches allied, 

Of the evil and pain from which she was 
exempt. 

Mrs. Osgood. 

Thou canst have my gems and gold, 

All that avarice may covet; 
But my heart thou canst not hold, 

Since such dross is prized above it! 

AMETHYST 

Amethyst, for the most part nearly transparent, is 
of every shade of violet. Specimens of various colors 
are brought from Brazil, but the finest come from 
Ceylon, India and Persia. In the earlier times it was 
supposed to be an antidote for intoxication and was the 
most cherished of all precious stones by the Roman 
matrons, who believed that it would preserve inviolate 
the affection of their husbands. It stands for Faith, 
Protection, Peace of Mind, Sincerity, deep love and 
truth unto death. It is called the Prelate's Gem. The 
month of February is said to be under its influence. 

24 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

St. Valentine was said to have worn an amethyst ring 
engraved with a cupid. 

An exquisite engraving of a Bacchante on an amethyst 
was supposed to have belonged to the famous Cleopatra. 
"Antipater" thus writes of it. 

A Bacchante wild on amethyst I stand 
The engraving truly of a skilful hand; 
The subject's foreign to the sober stone, 
But Cleopatra doth the jewel own, 
And on her royal hand all must agree 
The drunken goddess needs must sober be! 

Aristotle thus describes the origin of the 
Amethyst: a beautiful nymph, beloved by Bac- 
chus, invoked the aid of Diana, the Goddess of 
Chastity, who answered her appeal by changing 
her into a precious gem. The baffled god, in 
remembrance of his love, gave to the stone the 
color of the purple wine, of which he had taught 
mortals the taste, and also endowed the amethyst 
with the faculty of preserving its wearer from 
the inebriating effect of the grape. 

PEACE OF MIND 

An exile from home, splendor dazzles in vain ; 
O, give me my lowly thatched cottage again. 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

The birds singing gaily that come at my call ; 
Give me sweet peace of mind, that is dearer than 
all. 

John Howard Payne. 

I ask not shining gold, 
Or greatness, lingering in the court of kings, 
But that the Shepherd guard our little fold — 

Our harp's unbroken strings. 

At eve, when all is still, 
Save the soft-sighing wind or evening bird, 
How the home voices through my spirit thrill, 

Till all its depths are stirred ! 

No wild, unholy prayer 
Lingers upon my lips with blasting power ; 
My woman's heart, in love's congenial air, 

Enjoys each fleeting hour! 



APATITE 

It resembles the Beryl and Emerald, but is dis- 
tinguishable in color and hardness. The colors are white, 
blue, green, and red, and it stands for 



26 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



FAITH IN IMMORTALITY 

Cold in the dust this perished heart may lie, 
But that which warm'd it once shall never die. 

Campbell. 

Love which proclaims thee mortal, bids thee 

know, 
A truth more lofty in thy lowliest hour 
Than shallow glory taught to human power — ■ 
"What's Human is Immortal!" 

Bulwer Lytton. 

Great Animator of this dust ! 

Oh ! breathe in me sublimer trust, 

Than that which, grovelling, sinks, to steep 

This ending lif e in endless sleep ! 

This flesh may crumble, and this bone 
In dust on wildest winds be strown, 
But as thy call shall wing its way — 
Death shall be life, and darkness day. 

Richard Howitt. 



M 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 
APYRITE, OR PYRITES 

A crystallized combination of sulphur with other 
metals, which often gives off sparks when struck with a 
hammer. Darwin the elder speaks of 

Stars of gold the sparkling pyrite blends. 

It signifies 

WELCOME 

Thou art welcome as the day, 
As the loveliest of May; — 
And the azure-vested night, 
On her summer wings of light, 
Hath not eyes more softly bright 
Than are thine ! 

Thou art beautiful as flowers, 
As the fairest in my bowers ; 
I've the Lily and the Rose, 
But the hues that they disclose, 
Oh! what are they to those 
That are thine ! 

Thou art spotless as the snow 
Ere the moon upon it glow ; — 
28 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

But the moon must have its ray, 
And the snow-wreaths melt away, 
And hearts, — why should not they ? 
Why not thine? 

Pierce Shafton. 



AQUAMARINE 

A variety of the Beryl. Its color is a pale, pure, sky- 
blue or sea-green, and it is one of the few jewels that 
do not lose their brilliancy at night. Thus it stands for 
Hope, which misfortune cannot conquer. 



MISFORTUNE AND HOPE 

I may not weep — I cannot sigh, 
A weight is pressing on my breast ; 

A breath breathes on me witheringly, 
My tears are dry, my sighs supprest. 

N. P. Willis. 

Though at times my spirit fails me, 
And the bitter tear-drops fall 

Though my lot is hard and lonely, 
Yet I hope — I hope through all. 

The Hon. Mrs. Norton. 



29 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Thy morning sun rose brightly, but a cloud 

Received its splendor, and the shadow fell 
On thy young spirit, which to sorrow bowed, — 

Bound by its chilling and mysterious spell. 
Then first thy heart its strength and weakness 

knew — 
What dreams to nurse, what passions to subdue ! 
Hope, with her pencil dipped in rainbow hues, 

Portrays thy noon-tide hour so calmly bright, 
That fancy's wing its airy flight renews, 

And revels in the fields of azure-light, 
Which lie unclouded o'er the distant scene, 
Fair as a summer's sea, waveless, serene I 



AVANTURIN 

It is a brown, or red Quartz, has a resinous lustre, 
and is penetrated with gold or brass yellow glistening 
fissures. It is found in the Uranian mountains, Styria, 
near Madrid, Nantez, Scotland, etc. It is supposed to 
typify the love of wandering. 



RECALL 

Where'er I roam whatever realm, I see 
My heart untravelled, fondly turns to thee. 

O. Goldsmith: The Traveller. 
30 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Where'er thou journey est, or whate'er thy care, 
My heart shall follow and my spirit share. 

Mrs. Sigourney. 

Return, return ; the mild, warm airs are blowing 

Around thy northern home ; 
Above us, summer skies are richly glowing, — 

Why wilt thou roam? 
From the still temple of our spirit straying, 

Love folds thee in its wing ! 
Affection breathes her prayer o'er hope decaying 

And mourns her blighted Spring ! 



AXINITE OR THUMERSTONE 

The name of this mineral is derived from the Greek, 
meaning an axe. Its colors are violet, blue, brown, 
gray, and yellow. It is found in many parts of Europe. 
It was supposed to have the power of revealing 
mystery. 

THE MYSTERY OF LIFE 

There are more things in heaven and earth, 

Horatio, 
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. 

Shakespeare: Hamlet. 
31 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

" Life is before ye " — oh, if ye could look 
Into the secrets of that sealed book, 
Strong as we are with youth, and hope, and 
faith. 

Frances Kemble Baker. 

Mysterious oft it seems to me, 

How I a being came to be, 

Since through the myriad years gone by, 

Suns rose and set, yet lived not I. 

Richard Howitt. 



THE MYSTERY OE DEATH 

In that sleep of death, that dreams may come, 
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil. 

Shakespeare : Hamlet. 

Can that man be dead 
Whose spiritual influence is upon his kind? 
He lives in glory, and his speaking dust 
Has more of life than half its breathing mould. 

Miss L. E. Landon. 

{From the German). 

Soon with thee will all be over, 
Soon the voyage will be begun, 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

That shall bear thee to discover 
Far away a land unknown. 

W. H. Furness. 



BERYL 

The most magnificent Beryl comes from Siberia, Rio 
de Janeiro, Aberdeenshire, in Scotland, and Limoges, in 
France. The colors are green, blue, yellow, or greenish- 
white, all pale shades. It is sacred to mariners and is 
"a second-sight" stone, at one time much used by 
fortune tellers, who looked into it and then uttered their 
predictions. It signifies Everlasting Freshness, Victory, 
Happiness and Constancy. 



FORGET-ME-NOT 

Where flows the fountain silently, 
There blooms a lovely flower, 

Blue as the beauty of the sky ; 

It speaks like kind fidelity, 

Through fortune's sun and shower — 
" Forget-me-not." 



'Tis like thy starry eyes, more bright 
Than evening's proudest star; 
33 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Like purity's own halo light ; 
It seems to smile upon thy sight, 
And says to thee from afar — 
" Forget-me-not." 

Halleck. 

There's not a look, a word of thine, 

My soul hath e'er forgot ; 
Thou ne'er hast bid a ringlet shine, 
Nor given thy locks one graceful twine, 

Which I remember not. 

Thomas Moore. 



BOHEMIAN DIAMOND 

This is the limpid colorless Rock Crystal, cut and 
polished, (q. v.) It often contains hair-like substances 
and is called Thetis's Hair Stone, Venus's Hair Stone, 
Venus's Pencils, Cupid's Net, Cupid's Arrows. It 
stands for close and faithful attachment. 



FOREVER THINE 

Thought ye your iron hands of pride 
Could break the knot that love had tied? 
No ! — let the eagle change his plume, 
34 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

The leaf its hue, the flower its bloom ; 
But ties around this heart were spun 
That could not, would not be undone. 

T. Campbell. 

Forever thine — when circling years have spread 

Time's snowy blossoms o'er thy snowy brow, 
When youth's rich glow, its purple light is fled, 

And lilies bloom where roses flourish now. 
Forever thine — at evening's dewy hour, 

When gentle hearts to tenderest thoughts 
incline, 
When balmiest odors from each closing flower 

Are breathing round me — thine, forever 
thine ! 

Forever thine — 'mid Fashion's heartless throng, 
Its courtly bowers — at Folly's gilded shrine, 
Smiles on my cheek, light words upon my 
tongue, 
My deep heart still is thine — forever thine ! 
Alaric A. Watts. 



BOTTLESTONE 

A variety of Tourmaline, of a grass-green, or olive- 
green color. See also Tourmaline. It signifies 

35 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



SUSPICION 

Better confide and be deceived 

A thousand times, by treacherous foes, 
Than once accuse the innocent, 

Or let suspicion mar repose. 

Mrs. Osgood. 

Oh fly ! 'tis dire Suspicion's mien ; 
And meditating plagues unseen, 

The success hither bends ; 
Behold her torch in gall imbued, 
Behold — her garment drops with blood 

Of lovers and of friends. 

Fly far ! already in your eyes 
I see a pale suffusion rise ; 

And soon through every vein, 
Soon will her secret venom spread, 
And all your heart, and all your head, 

Imbibe the potent stain. 

Akenside. 

CACHELONG 

A kind of Chalcedony. — The name of this stone is 
of Mongolian origin, meaning a "pretty stone." It 

36 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

is milky-white, turning sometimes to yellow or red color. 
The price is high, on account of its beauty and scarcity. 
It stands for Truth and Love's Ambition. So called 
from Chalcedon in Asia Minor, where it was first found. 
Agate, carnelian, cat's-eye, chrysoprase, flint hornstone, 
onyx, plasma and sard are all varieties of Chalcedony. 

It is said "to dispel illusions and all vain imagina- 
tions. If hung about the neck as a charm it is a de- 
fence against enemies and keeps the body healthful and 
vigorous." 

LOVE INSPIRES MY AMBITION 

You have deeply ventured, 
But all must do so who would greatly win. 

Byron : The Dogs of Venice. 

It is for thee, for thee alone I seek 
The paths of glory — to light up thy cheek 
With warm approval — in that gentle look 
To read my praise, as in an angel's book, 
And think all toil's rewarded, when from thee 
I gain a smile, worth immortality ! 

T. Moore. 

THE CARBUNCLE 

See Garnet. — The carbuncle is first cousin to the 
garnet and belongs to the " Pyrope " family. The an- 

37 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

cients applied the word " carbunculus " to all red and 
fiery stones — the word meaning a live coal. 

Carbuncles of large size and of extraordinary lumi- 
nosity and brilliance are prized in the East. The only 
light that Noah had in the ark was said to have been 
furnished by the effulgence of carbuncles and other 
precious stones, and many Oriental Tales tell of the 
wondrous light that this stone gives. Ovid describes the 
Palace of the Sun 

Beset with sparkling carbuncles that like fire doth shine, 
The roof was framed with carvings rare and fine. 

And Churchill tells of the carbuncles on the door of the 
witch of Orandra: 

... So star-like bright they shone 
They served as tapers to give light 
To the dark entry. 

The Goddess Astarte of Hieropolis had a monster car- 
buncle set in the forehead. 



CARNELIAN 

A precious stone, of light-red, or flesh color. It was 
found originally in Sardinia. Many in the British Mu- 
seum were found in the field of Cannae in Apuli, where 
Hannibal defeated the Romans. 

It signifies Friendship, Content, and the month of 
July is supposed to be under its influence. 



38 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

FRIENDSHIP IN SORROW 

Re of comfort and your heavy sorrow 
Part equally among us: storms divided 
Abate their force, and with less rage are guided. 
Heywood's Woman Killed with Wisdom. 

Together 'neath the early morn, 

We took our joyous way, 
Where clustering blossoms hid the thorn, 

And all around was gay ; 
And now, when midnight's wildest storms 

The troubled sleeper wake, 
And Fear calls forth its phantom forms, 

Shall I thy side forsake? 

Ah! no, beneath misfortune's dart, 

Thy cheek bedewed with tears, 
Thou'rt dearer to my yearning heart 

Than in thy cloudless years. 

Mrs. L. H. Sigourney. - . 

CARNELIAN ONYX 

Such as have a blood-red base, interchanged with 
white stripes. The finest are found in the United States, 
Siberia, India, etc. See also Onyx and Cachelong. It 
is a charm against misfortune and is used as an emblem 
of prosperity by some. 

39 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



DISTINCTION LIES BEFORE THEE 

We tell thy doom without a sigh, 

For thou art Freedom's now and Fame's,- 
One of the few immortal names 

That were not born to die. 

FlTZGREENE HaI/LECK I BOZZARUS. 

Lo! on the mountain's brow 
One point of gleaming light ! 
And thither climbest thou, 
With eye and spirit bright. 
Ay, thou at last shall stand 
In all that golden glow, 
A sceptre shining in thy hand 
To rule the world below. 

Oh use that sceptre well! 
Not as a spear to smite, 
But like a wand of mighty spell 
To serve the cause of Right ! 
If thou win Power, do good! 
If Fame, deserve thy meed! 
If Wealth, oh, pout it like a flood 
O'er all this world of need! 

Miss S. C. Edgarton. 

40 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



CAT'S-EYE 

Its colors are gray, brown, green, red, and yellow. 
It presents a peculiar floating, changeable, opalescent 
light. It is found never larger than a hazelnut. It 
is found in Ceylon, Malabar, Hartz mountains, Bavaria. 
It is supposed to give warning of danger, storm and 
trouble and was a charm against witchcraft. The 
Hindoos believe that the Cat's-Eye is inhabited by 
some good spirit and wards off poverty. The possession 
of the stone guards the owner's wealth, but if he sells 
or barters it, his wealth will vanish. It is a great favor- 
ite with the English people, who generally wear it set 
in small brilliants. It signifies 



PLATONIC LOVE 

Love not — love not — the thing you love may 
change. 
The rosy lips may cease to smile on you; 
The kindly beaming eye grow cold and strange 
The heart still warmly beat, and not for you. 
Hon. Mrs. Norton. 

From her lone path she never turns aside, 

Though passionate worshippers before her 
fall; 
Like some pure planet in her lonely pride, 
She seems to soar and beam above them all ! 
41 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

A thousand, thousand things there are 
That cannot be by words express'd. 

One cordial grasp, — one bursting sigh, — 
One speaking glance, — one sob half choked,- 
Tell more of these than all the words 
Wherein man's thoughts are ever cloak'd. 

Anonymous. 



CHRYSOBERYL 

It is found in Brazil, in Terno Minas Novas, Pegu, 
Ceylon and Siberia, also in Connecticut and New York. 
Its color is green with a tinge of brown, yellow, gray 
or white. It signifies Charity and Patience. 



PATIENCE AND SORROW 

Where are most sorrows there the poet's sphere 
is 

To feed the soul with patience, 
To heal its desolations, 
With words of unshorn truth, with Love that 
never wearies. 

James R. Lowell. 



43 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Not that her heart is cold ! emotions new 

And fresh as flowers, are with her heart- 
strings knit ; 
And sweetly mournful pleasures wander through 
Her virgin soul, and softly ruffle it. 

Mrs. A. B. Welby. 

CHLOROPHANE 

A translucent variety of the Fluorspar, found in 
England, Siberia, and the United States, is of beautiful 
variegated colors, principally blue, violet, and green. 
When put on a hot iron in a dark room, it emits a most 
beautiful emerald-green light. See also Fluorspar. It 
signifies 

SILENT EXPRESSION 

She never told her love 
But let concealment, like a worm i' the bud 
Feed on her damask cheek ; she pined in thought ; 
And with a green and yellow melancholy 

She sat (like patience on a monument) 
Smiling at grief. 

Shakespeare: Twelfth Night. 

Why trust to words ! Oh ! words are naught 
When fullest swells the throbbing breast; 
42 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Patience and sorrow strove 
Who should express her goodliest. You have 

seen 
Sunshine and rain at once; her smiles and tears 
Were like a better day. Those happy smiles 
That played on her ripe lip, seemed not to know 
What guests were in her eyes; which parted 

thence 
As pearls from diamonds dropped. In brief, 
Sorrow would be a rarity most beloved, 
If all could so become it. 

Shakespeare. 



CHRYSOLITE 

A greenish, yellowish, or brownish stone, sometimes 
transparent. It comes chiefly from the Levant. It was 
supposed to drive away phantoms, prevent folly, mad- 
ness and covetousness, to give assiduity in good works, 
and to gladden the heart. 

The month of September is said to be under its in- 
fluence. 



DISAPPOINTED LOVE 

And she was lost — and yet I breath'd 
But not the breath of human life; 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

A serpent round my heart was wreathed, 
And stung my every thought to strife. 

Byron's Giaour. 
Had she been true, 
If Heaven would make me such another world 
Of one entire and perfect chrysolite, 
I'd not have sold her for it. 

Shakespeare. 

CORAL 

The Red oe Precious. — The Barbarian, or those fished 
for on the coast of Barbary, are the thickest and purest. 
Almost every East India lady wears a bracelet or neck- 
lace made of coral. 

The Romans hung beads of coral around the neck of 
children to preserve and fasten their teeth, and it was 
also considered by them a charm against lightning, 
whirlwind and fire. It was credited with many other 
talismanic properties, among them being potency against 
the influence of the evil eye. It is said to retain its 
color when worn in health, but to become pale and livid 
in sickness or in danger of death. 

THY CHOICEST JEWEL IS THY HEART 

There are gems on thy brow, love! soft orient 

pearls 
Are gleaming like snow-flakes, amid thy rich 

curls: 

45 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Ay, truly, dearest, thou art formed to guide, 

To guide, to shelter, to uphold and bless ! 
And I can walk with brave heart at thy side, 

Safe in thy spirit's strength and tenderness! 
Thine eye, so clear, the dim way can discern ; 

No track in life looks doubtful unto thee ; 
Oh let me take thy hand, and meekly learn 

The way of duty, — sometimes dark to me. 

Thy mind is like a torch, that through the 
gloom 
Sheds a clear brightness where our feet should 
tread ; 
O blessed lot, from altar to the tomb, 

By hand and heart so steadfast to be led! 
Miss S. C. Edgarton. 



CORUNDUM OR DIAMOND SPAR 

It is translucent, and either gray, red, blue, green, 
brown or whitish in different shadings. It is found in 
Piedmont, Cananora, Campo Longo, the East Indies and 
Sweden, and signifies mental endowments. 



47 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

They circle thy white arm, and lie on thy breast, 
Less fair than the pillow alone where they rest ; 
Their lustre is shamed by thy radiant eyes, — 
But thy heart, love, thy heart is the jewel I 

prize. 
They tell me thy casket hath many a gem, 
Which a monarch might place in his proud di- 
adem ; 
The diamond's lustre, the ruby's rich glow, 
And pearls that may vie with the new-fallen 

snow ; 
But wealth may buy these at the jewelry mart — 
The gem which I covet is priceless — thy heart ! 
Mrs. C. A. Jerauld. 



CORNALINE 

One variety is called by the French Cornalines de 
vieille roche. The color is dark-red. It signifies leader- 
ship. 

THOU ART FORMED TO GUIDE 

I stand like one 
Has lost his way, and no man near him to in- 
quire it of. 

Sir Robert Howard. 
46 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



THE MIND ALONE IS VALUABLE 

The mind within me panted after mind 
The spirit sighed to meet a kindred spirit 
And in my human heart there was a void. 
James Montgomery. 
For 'tis the mind that makes the body rich ; 
And as the sun breaks through the darkest 

clouds, 
So honor peereth in the meanest habit. 
What, is the jay more precious than the lark, 
Because his feathers are more beautiful? 
Or is the adder better than the eel, 
Because his painted skin contents the eye? 
O no, good lady; neither art thou the worse 
For this poor furniture and mean array ! 

Shakespeare. 



DIAMOND 

Diamond is the corruption of the word adamant, 
coming to us from the Greek, the Latin and the 
French. But the loadstone or magnet is perhaps the 
true adamant, though the word has been used indiffer- 
ently for any hard stone as well as for the loadstone. 
Virgil speaks of adamantine pillars to express hardness 
48 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

and strength. Milton in the same way says that the 
gates of hell were of burning adamant. Satan wore 
armor and carried a shield of adamant. Shakespeare 
calls it adamant and so Green, 

As true to thee as steel to adamant. 

In the Arabian Nights we read of the mountain or 
mine of adamant "which draws all your fleet towards 
it by virtue of the iron in your ships." 

The colorless diamonds are not the most common. 
The rarest colors are blue, pink, and dark-brown, but 
yellow diamonds, when the color is clear, are very beau- 
tiful, and much valued. Pale-blue diamonds are also 
very fine and rare, but deep-blue still more rare. They 
are said to give hardness, fortitude and manhood. A 
good diamond is said to lose its virtue by sin on the 
part of the wearer. It also stands for Purity, Life and 
Joy, and is sometimes used as an emblem for pride. 
The month of April is said to be under its influence. 



PRIDE 

Of all the causes which conspire to blind, 
Man's erring judgment, and misguide the mind, 
What the weak head with strongest bias rules, 
Is pride, the never failing vice of fools. 

A. Pope: Essay on Criticism. 

Thou tread'st as if the common earth 

Were all too mean a thing 
For creature of thy lordly birth 

And vast aspiring! 
49 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Oh ! who would complain of dull sorrow 
In a world so enchantingly fair? 

Let us rather from ecstasy borrow 
The spells that can banish despair. 

Caldee Campbell. 



EMERALD 

The oriental Emerald is a variety of the Ruby, of 
a green color, and is an extremely rare gem. "An 
emerald without a flaw" is a proverb denoting per- 
fection which is unattainable. The most intensely col- 
ored and valuable ones are brought from Peru. It was 
supposed to heal all diseases of the eye, and there is 
a curious tradition that if a serpent fixes its eyes upon 
an emerald it becomes blind. It chiefly signifies happi- 
ness in love, and is an emblem of faith and freedom. 

44 It is the gem which hath the power to show 
If plighted lovers keep their troth or no. 
If faithful, it is like the leaves in spring; 
If faithless, like those leaves when withering." 

The month of May is said to be under its influence. 

"Paint me in emeralds," said the Empress Josephine 
to Isabeg when he was painting her portrait, "to rep- 
resent the undying freshness of my grief: but let them 
be surrounded with diamonds to portray the purity of 
my love." 



51 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

The diamond blazing in thy hair 
Thy emblem meet may be! 

Thou lack'st a jewel far more rare — 
Meek-eyed humility! 



EGYPTIAN PEBBLE 

Pebbles are too well known to need description. This 
particular kind has been held to denote 



MIRTH 

Oh, no! we were ne'er made for sighing! 

'Tis the bigot or fool that repines; 
We should shoot Pleasure's quarry while flying 

And bask in the sun when it shines. 
Then doff that dark wreath from your beaver, 

We want not the yew's sombre gloom, 
Nor the willow that mourns the deceiver, 

Nor cypress that nods o'er the tomb. 

The garland must all be of roses, 

Fresh plucked from those bowers of delight, 
Where blossom the sweetest of posies, — 

Where day never yieldeth to night! 
50 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



SUCCESS IN LOVE 

Love's reign is eternal, 
The heart is his throne, 

And he has all seasons 
Of life for his own. 

G. P. Morris. 

Clouds and darkness, flee away! 

In my soul is perfect day ! 

Words are feeble to express 

Half my hoarded happiness! 

Love hath kindled with its flame 

Thoughts that have no earthly name, 

But on lightest wing they soar 

Earthly griefs and passions o'er! 

In my soul is perfect day, 

Doubts and fears are passed away. 



ESSONITE, OR CINNAMON STONE 

It is found in sands of rivers, and In the primitive 
rocks of Ceylon, also in Scotland. Its color is deep-red, 
hyacinth and orange yellow, and it means the Call of 
Love. 

52 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



IT IS LOVE INVITES THEE 

And had he not long read 
The heart's hushed secret, in the soft dark eye 
Lighted at his approach, and on the cheek, 
Coloring all crimson at his lightest look? 

Miss L. E. Landon. 

O ! 'Tis a voice that comes from heaven, 
Borne like a spirit in light along, 

Now like the rush of a tempest driven. 
Murmuring now in the charm of song. 

Hear ye the voice ? — then come away 
Far from the haunts of ruder men — 

Come where the leaves and fountains play — 
You may love and be happy then ! 

Anonymous. 

FLINT 

Is familiar as the stones on the street. When polished 
it is often very beautiful. Its very natural signification 
is 

HARD HEARTED 

Still so hard hearted? What may be 

The sin thou hast committed: 
That now the angry deity 
53 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



ABSENCE 

Love reckons hours for months, and days for 

years, 
And every little absence is an age. 

Dryden : Amphiteion. 

I miss thee each lone hour, 

Star of my heart ; 
No other voice hath power 

Joy to impart. 

Darkness is on the hearth, 

Naught do I say ; 
Books are but little worth ■— 

Thou art away. 

Voices the true and kind 

Strange are to me ; 
I have lost voice and mind 

Thinking of thee. 

Oh, if one little week 
Yieldeth such pain, 
Who through long widowed years 
Life could sustain? 

Mes. J. H. Scott. 
55 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Hath to a rock congealed thee, 
And thus thy burden fitted? 
To make one act both sin and curse, 
And plague thy hardness with a worse ! 

Till thee never was but one 

Was to a rock translated. 
Poor Niobe, that weeping stone: 
She never did, thou ne'er dost moan, 

Nor is thy scorn abated. 
The tears I send to thee are grown 
Of that same nature, and turn stone. 

Yet men, dear rock, must worship thee, 

Love works this superstition, 
And justifies th' idolatry 
That shewn to such a rock as thee, 

Where it foreruns fruition. 
Thou'rt so magnetic, that it can 
No more leave thee, than be a man. 

Alex Brome (1600). 

FLUORSPAR 

Its colors are purple, red, green, yellow, gray, blue, 
white, and all the various shades from the violet to the 
rose-red. It is found in numerous localities. It signifies 

54 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



FREESTONE 

This is really sandstone: too well known to need de- 
scription. It has been used to denote 

GENEROSITY 

Oh! rich art thou in generous thoughts and 

deeds, 
My noble friend! Thou scornest those base 

arts, 
By which the ignoble throng so often win 
The glittering prize. A fallen foe by thee 
Is lifted up, — his hatred turned to love, — 
His wrath to peace. Thou yieldest up un- 
asked 
The dearest hopes of youth, — long cherished 

hopes, 
Inwoven with thy fondest plans of life, 
To buy another's peace, — content thyself 
To plant the golden flowers, which other hand 
Unthinkingly perhaps shall cull. 

D. A. Jaques. 

GARNET 

Its prevailing color is red of various shades, but it is 
often brown, and sometimes green, yellow, or black. 

56 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Signifies Friendship, Constancy and Felicity and renders 
the wearer agreeable, powerful and victorious. 

The month of January is supposed to be under its in- 
fluence. 



FIDELITY IN EVERY ENGAGEMENT 

Though human, thou didst not deceive me, 

Though woman, thou didst not forsake. 
Though loved, thou forborest to grieve me, 

Though slandered, thou never could'st shake. 
Though taunted, thou didst not disclaim me, 

Though parted, it was not to fly. 
Though watchful, 'twas not to defame me, 

Nor mute, that the world might belie. 

Byron. 



Swerving from duty never ! True thou art 
To the best teachings of thy noble heart ; 
Like the vast rock which rears its giant form, 
Breasting the ocean-tide, the wintry storm, 
So art thou strong whatever blasts assail, 
So doth thy changeless virtue never fail! 
Sooner shall solid continents decay, 
Than thine unbroken word will pass away. 



57 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

BE STRONG 

Be strong to bear life's many ilia, 
To toil, to struggle, to endure; 

The hope that now thy bosom thrills, 
Cheers with its light, serene and pure. 

But should the light be shaded soon, 
And disappointed rear its form, 

Fear not ! the sun of manhood's noon 
Will quick dispel the gathered storm. 

The mighty will can conquer fate, 
And find a pathway of its own ; 

And though bereft and desolate, 

Rests on its broad, unshaken throne. 

GRANITE— -RED 

Is one of the most familiar of stones — more often 
used for buildings and monuments than for jewelry — 
yet it takes a fine polish and this particular variety 
stands for 

INNOCENT LOVE 

Loving she is, and tractable, though wild; 
And Innocence hath privilege in her 
59 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

VIRTUE 

How safely and sweetly the spirit reposes 

Where virtue presides on her durable throne ; 

The path may be rough or imbedded in roses — 

We may tread it in concert or wander alone, 

But the indwelling guest soothes the bitterest 

sorrow, 
And through the dark present illumines the mor- 
row! 

GARNET — BOHEMIAN OR CEYLONESE 

Its colors are wine-red, nearly orange-yellow, deep- 
colored. It is found in almost all parts of the world. 
See also Garnet, which signifies Friendship. 

FRIENDSHIP 

A golden treasure is the tried friend: 
But who may gold from counterfeits defend? 
Trust not too soon, nor yet too soon mistrust: 
With the one thyself, with th' other thy friend 

how hurt'st 
Who twines betwixt and steers the golden mean, 
Nor rashly loveth, nor mistrusts in vain. 

Mirror for Magistrates. 
58 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

To dignify arch looks and laughing eyes ; 

And feats of cunning; and the pretty round 

Of trespasses, affected to provoke 

Mock chastisement, and partnership in play. 

And, as a fagot sparkles on the hearth, 

Not less if unattended and alone 

Than when both young and old sit gathered 

round, 
And take delight in its activity, — 
Even so this happy creature of herself 
Is all sufficient ; solitude to her 
In blithe society, who fills the air 
With gladness and involuntary songs. 

William Wordsworth. 



HAUYNE 

This is costly and scarce. It is found in ejections of 
Vesuvius, in Italy, and in Scotland. Its colors are in- 
digo, sky, and smalt blue, also white, green, gray, and 
black and it signifies 



DO NOT BID ME LEAVE THEE 

There are two souls whose equal flow 
In gentle streams so calmly run 
60 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

That when they part — they part ? — ah no ! 
They cannot part — those souls are one. 
Bernard Barton. 



No more my dear, no more these counsels try, 
O give my passions leave to run their race. 
Let fortune lay on me her worst disgrace ; 

Let folk o'ercharged with brain against me 

cry; 
Let clouds be dim, my face break in mine 
eye; 
Let me no steps then of lost labor trace ; 
Let all the earth with scorn recount my case ; 
But do not will me from my love to fly ! 
Sir Philip Sidney 
(Written in the sixteenth century.) 



HELIOTROPE OR BLOODSTONE 

This stone is much admired and the price depends 
upon the color and quantity of red spots contained in 
the same. It is found in many parts of the world. Said 
to secure long life and safety and to signify Courage 
and Wisdom. It was also said to render the wearer 
invisible. The month of March is said to be under its 
influence. 

61 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



HORNSTONE 

This stone is not costly. It is found in many parts 
of Europe. It has often several colors in the same speci- 
men. It signifies Changeableness. 

THOU ART CHANGED 

I ask not what change has come over thy heart, 
I seek not what chances have doomed us to part ; 
I know thou has told me to love thee no more 
And I still must obey where I once did adore. 

Hoffman. 

I knew thee first in early youth, 

And oh ! I loved thee then ; 
For thou wast a fair take of truth, 

From the Almighty's pen! 
And gazing on thy sunny face, 

And on thine open brow, 
Oh ! who the falsehood then might trace, 

That marks what thou art now ! 

It was no earthly love did bring 

My spirit to thy shrine ; 
I bowed as to an angel-thing 

That never could be mine ! 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

I MOURN YOUR ABSENCE 

A boat at midnight sent alone 
To drift upon the moonless sea, 
A lute whose leading chord is gone, 
A wounded bird, that hath but one 
Imperfect wing to soar upon 
Are like what I am without thee ! 

Thomas Moore* 

Come to me, come, for long have I sustained 

Life's weary toil alone, 
And felt, by hope deferred, my spirit pained, 

And waited for the tone 
Which made thy lightest word a treasured thing ; 

And now I pine like- bird with broken wing ! 

Come to me, come! Such partings are like 
death, 
And make the heart an urn 
For buried hopes, o'er which but memory's 
breath 
Whispers of love's return! 
Come to me, come ! for thou too art a prey 
Unto this wasting of the heart away ! 
62 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

I mourn no idle passion cross'd, 
But oh ! I grieve that thou — 

All bright and pure as once thou wast — 
Should'st be — what thou art now. 

Anonymous. 



HYACINTH 

This stone and Zircon are considered two varieties of 
the same mineral. Its color is deep red with a touch 
of brown, and sometimes orange-yellow. It is preferred 
to the Zircon. It is said to give second sight, to pro- 
mote sleep and to preserve from thunder-storm and 
pestilence and to typify Parting. 



WE MUST PART 

Well, — peace to thy heart, though another's 

it be, 
And health to thy cheek, though it bloom not 

for me. 

Thomas Moore. 

Farewell ! we have not often met ; — 

We may not meet again ; 
But on my heart the seal is set 

Love never sets in vain ! 
64 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Fruitless as constancy may be, 
No chance, no change, may turn from thee 
One who has loved thee wildly, well, — 
But whose first love-vow breathed farewell! 

L. E. Landon. 



HYANITE, OR HYALITE 

A pellucid variety of opal looking like colorless gum 
or rosin, called also Mailer's glass. It has been employed 
to signify 



A POOR MARRIAGE 

How uneasy is his life, 
Who shall ever have a wife! 
Be she ne'er so fair or comely, 
Be she ne'er so foul or homely, 
Be she ne'er so young and toward, 
Be she ne'er so old and froward, 
Be she kind with arms enfolding, 
Be she cross and always scolding, 
Be she blithe or melancholy, 
Have she wit, or have she folly; 
Be she wary, be she squand'ring, 
Be she staid, or be she wand'ring; 
65 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Be she constant, be she fickle, 
Be she fire or be she sickle, 
Yet uneasy is his life — 
Who shall ever have a wife! 

Chaeles Cotton (1650). 



HYPERSTHENE 

This mineral is rare. It is found in Labrador, Green- 
land, and in the United States. Its colors are dark- 
brown, red, greenish or grayish-black. It admits of high 
polish. It signifies 



THOU AET THE SUN OF MY LIFE 

The lark now leaves his wat'ry nest, 
And, climbing, shakes his dewy wings; 

He takes his window for the east ; 

And to implore your light, he sings, — 

Awake, awake, the morn will never rise, 

Till she can dress her beauty at your eyes. 

The merchant bows unto the seaman's star, 
The ploughman from the sun his season takes ; 

But still the lover wonders what they are 

Who look for day before his mistress wakes. 
66 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Awake, awake, break through your veils of 

lawn! 
Then draw your curtains and begin the dawn. 

Sir W. Davenant. 



IDOCRASE 

This stone is little known. Its colors are yellowish 
or brownish-green, orange-yellow, sometimes blue and 
black. It is found in primitive and volcanic rocks. Be- 
longs to the Garnet family and signifies Constancy and 
Justice. 

JUSTICE 

A happy love be thine, and larger light 

Await thee there; for thou hast bound thy 
will 
In cheerful homage to the rule of right, 
And lovest all, and doest good for all. 

W. C. Bryant. 

She was a virgin of austere regard: 

Not as the world esteems her deaf and blind ; 

But as the eagle, that hath oft compared 

Her eye with Heaven's, so and more brightly 

shined 
Her lamping sight ! for she the same could wind 
67 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Into the solid heart, and, with her ears, 
The silence of the thought loud speaking hears, 
And in one hand a pair of even scales she wears. 

Giles Fletcher. 

She sits serene in majesty ! Her brow 

Weareth " immortal amaranth," while be- 
neath, 

Unfading youth sits smiling, lovely now 

As when first garlanded with beauty's wreath ! 

God's own vicegerent, ofttimes clothed in gloom, 

But losing never her celestial bloom ! 



JADE 

This mineral is of mountain grass or sea-green color. 
It was originally found in China, Egypt, on the Amazon 
river, and in the United States. It is called in the East 
the Divine Stone, and is there worn as an amulet or 
charm, and signifies Remembrance. 

Jade was highly esteemed by the Aztecs; the New 
Zealand savages used it as an emblem of sovereignty; 
the lake dwellers of Switzerland used it to make beads, 
and by the Chinese and Japanese it is greatly prized for 
personal ornament, as well as for the royal cups and 
vases, and for the manufacture of their idols. The Hin- 
doos make the handles -of their daggers and scimitars 
of Jade. The origin of the name is curious. It is from 

68 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

the Spanish hyada — the kidneys — because in the middle 
ages it was worn to ward off the diseases of these 
organs. 



UNLOVED BUT REMEMBERED 

There's not an hour 
Of day, or dreaming night, but I am with thee ; 
There's not a wind but whispers of thy name ; 
And not a flower that sleeps beneath the moon, 
But in its fragrance tells a tale of thee. 

B. W. Proctor. 



Like an enfranchised bird, who wildly springs, 

With a keen sparkle in his glancing eye 
And a strong effort in his quivering wings, 

Up to the blue vault of the happy sky, — 
So my enamor'd heart, so long thine own, 

At length from Love's imprisonment set free, 
Goes forth into the open world alone, 

Glad and exulting in its liberty ; 
But like that helpless bird (confined so long, 

His weary wings have lost all power to soar), 
Who soon forgets to thrill his joyous song, 

And, feebly fluttering, sinks to earth once 
more — 

69 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

So, from its former bonds released in vain, 
My heart still feels the weight of that remem- 
bered chain. 

Hon. Mrs. Norton. 

JASPER 

This is of Oriental origin, and is often mentioned 
in the Bible. Its colors are white, red, yellow, green, 
blue, brown and black. It is found in Egypt, in al- 
most all parts of Europe, and in the United States. It 
signifies variously Pure and Saintly Love, Peace and 
Strength. It is a talisman for athletes. 

PRIDE OF STRENGTH 

His fair large front, and eye sublime, declared 
Absolute rule, and his hyacinthian locks 
Round from his parted forehead manly hung 
Clustering. 

Milton's Paradise Lost. 

We read thy destiny upon thy brow, 

And in the flashing of thine eagle eye ; 
Impatient for life's conflict art thou now, 
And flushed with pride, thy heart be beating 
high. 
Oh, many a disappointment must thou bear, 
While from thy spirit rises voiceless prayer ! 
70 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

The pity, that thy haughty nature spurns, 
Still clings to thee, as with prophetic eye 

My spirit from the op'ning future learns 

The light and shadow which before thee lie! 

With conflict worn, impatient for thy rest 

May'st thou not seek in vain the shelt'ring nest ! 

JASPER 

Egyptian Pebble. — It is found in Baden, Egypt, and 
other places. Among the pebbles of the river Nile it is 
frequently discovered. It is of gray, brown, or red color. 
It typifies 

RESIGNATION 

Cheer your heart: 
Be you not troubled with the time, which drives 
O'er your content these strong necessities ; 
But let determin'd things to destiny 
Hold unbewailed their way. 

Shakespeare: Antony and Cleopatra. 

The storm has passed! Before its mighty 
breath 
I strove to stand secure in human pride ; 
I warned against the chilling hand of death, 
As one by one affection's blossoms died. 
71 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Then to my spirit from the lowly sod 

Came forth a murmur — know the hand of God ! 

As pliant willow in the weaver's hand, 
My spirit bent, unbroken but subdued; 

Death seemed as angel from the shrouded land, 
With power to quell life's frequent storms en- 
dued. 

The heart beneath its shadow sunk to rest, 

Like an o'erwearied bird within its nest I 



JASPER OPAL 

This mineral stands between the Jasper and Opal. 
The colors are gray, yellow, red and brown. It is found 
in Hungary, Saxony, and Siberia. It typifies 

HUMIUTY 

The bird that soars on highest wing 
Builds on the ground her lowly nest; 

And she that doth most sweetly sing 

Sings in the shade, when all things rest ; 

In Lark and Nightingale we see 

What honor hath humility. 

James Montgomery. 



72 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Content within my cottage home, 

I have no restless wish to roam, 
In humble hopes the peace I find 

Of a contented, thoughtful mind. 

Let others seek the glare of day, 

I cannot bear the solar ray ; 
The twilight hour, the tranquil shade 

Have lured my steps whene'er I strayed. 

If of humility I boast, 

At once the priceless gem is lost ! 
Its throne in silence let me raise 

And angel harps shall sing its praise! 

JASPER 

Ribband, or Striped. — It is found in Siberia, East 
Indies, Corsica, Tyrol, and Hartz mountains; the West 
Indies also produce splendid specimens. It has parallel 
straight or twisted stripes of gray, green, yellow, red or 
brown colors. It typifies 

DESPAIR 

Talk not of comforts, 'tis for lighter ills: 
I will indulge my sorrows, and give way 
To all the pangs and fury of despair. 

Addison's Cato. 
73 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Despair, the grave of every hope, 

Hath opened to receive thee. It hath 
wrought 
Its fearful task, and thou art left to grope 
In pain and darkness with the curse of 
thought ! 

Oh, from its black and yawning cavern shrink, 
As from the noisome pestilence that flies, 
And wastes at noon-day ! Pause thou not to 

drink 
The bitter waters that around thee rise ! 



JET 

The color of Jet is a pure, deep black, some- 
times with a tinge of brown. Amongst the Romans it 
was known as gagate, or black amber. The Greeks con- 
sidered it a specific against the toothache and tumours 
and a marvellous discoverer of unfaithfulness. It is 
found in different parts of Europe, and in the United 
States, in Hadley, Massachusetts. Signifies Mourning. 

SAD REMEMBRANCE 

Oh! only those 
Whose souls have felt this one idolatry 
Can tell how precious is the slightest thing 

74 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Affection gives and hallows ! A dead flower 
Will long be kept, remembrance of love, 
That made each leaf a treasure. 

Miss L. E. Landon. 

We laid her in the valley when all around was 

bright, 
And felt within the stricken heart the deepest 

gloom of night. 
We twined fresh rose-buds with the curls that 

lay like golden thread 
Or halo of celestial light around the sinless 

head; 
The long, soft lashes like a veil just hid the dark 

blue eye, 
Which ever lent its sweetest light to deck affec- 
tion's sky. 
But these are sad remembrances — how precious 

they can tell, 
Who give earth's richest gems to Him " who do- 

eth all things well." 

KYANITE 

Its colors are azure-blue passing into light-blue or 
bluish-white or bluish-green. It is found in many parts 
of Europe and in the United States. In France and 

75 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Spain it has for some years been used in jewelry. It 
stands for Constancy and Truth. 



CONSTANCY 

No never from this hour to part 
We'll live and love so true; 

The sigh that rends thy constant heart 
Shall break thy Edwin's too. 

O. Gooedsmith: The Hermit. 



DEATH PREFERRED TO PARTING 

If I depart from thee, I cannot live; 
And in thy sight to die, what were it else, 
But like a pleasant slumber in thy lap? 
Here I could breathe my soul into the air, 
As mild and gentle as the cradle babe. 

Shakespeare. 



LABRADOR 

A little-known stone. Its colors are gray, with spots 
of a vivid play of colors, consisting of blue, red, green, 
brown, yellow or orange, according to the direction of 
the light. It signifies 

76 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



CAPRICIOUS LOVE 

The dream on the pillow that flits with the day, 
The leaf of the willow a breath wears away; 
The dust on the blossom, the spray on the sea; 
Ay — ask thine own bosom — are emblems of 
thee. 

Miss L. E. Landon. 

The time that is to come is not ; 

How can it then be mine? 
The present moment's all my lot ; 
And that, as fast as it is got, 

Lady, is only thine. 

Then talk not of inconstancy, 

False hearts, and broken vows; 

If I, by miracle can be 

This live-long minute true to thee, 
'Tis all that Heaven allows. 

John Wilmot. 

LAPIS LAZULI 

Its lustre is shining and nearly vitreous. Its color 
is fine azure blue, with different shades, interspersed with 
spots or veins of pyrites. The name is derived from 

77 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

the Arabic word "azul," which means heaven and refers 
■to its color. It was highly esteemed for its supposed 
medicinal properties by the orientals and was largely 
used as an ornament by the Egyptians and the Greeks. 
The Chinese make their idols of it. The costly color 
called ultramarine is made from this stone principally 
in Rome. It signifies artistic taste, skilful workmanship 
and nobility of character. 



Even to the dullest peasant standing by 
Who fastened still on him a wondering eye 
He seemed the master spirit of the land. 

lOANNA BAILLIE. 

Though of such may gem the earth, yet such 

rare gems there are, 
Each shining in its hallowed sphere as virtue's 

polar star; 
Though human hearts too oft are found all 

gross, corrupt and dark, 
Yet, yet some bosoms breathe and burn, lit 

by Promethean spark; 
There are some spirits nobly just, unwarped 

by pelf or pride, 
Great in the calm, but greater still when dashed 

by adverse tide, — 
78 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

They hold the rank no king can give, no station 

can disgrace, 
Nature puts forth her gentleman, and monarchs 

must give place. 

Miss E. Cook. 

LAVA 

The blue Lava of Mount Vesuvius has the appear- 
ance of artificial blue enamel, and is much used in 
jewelry and other ornaments. It is found in all vol- 
canic countries. It has nearly all the colors with all the 
shades. It signifies 

FAITHFUL HEARTED 

Thought ye your iron hands of pride 
Could break the knot that Love had tied? 
No: — let the eagle change his plume 
The leaf its hue, the flower its bloom: 
But ties around this heart were spun, 
That could not, would not, be undone. 

T. Campbell. 

Tell me not of sparkling gems, 

Set in regal diadems; 
You may boast your diamonds rare, 

Rubies bright, and pearls so fair; 
79 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

But there's a peerless gem on earth, 
Of richer ray and purer worth ; 

'Tis priceless, but 'tis worn by few — 
It is, it is the heart that's true. 

Miss E. Cook. 

LEPIDOLITE 

It is found in many parts of the world. There are 
some variegated specimens of the peach-blossom color, 
which are extremely beautiful. It signifies 

I LIVE IN THE PRESENT 

Trust no future, how'er pleasant! 

Let the dead Past bury its dead! 
Act. — Act in the living Present! 

Heart within, and God o'erhead! 

H. W. Longfellow. 

Tell me not of memory's pleasure, 
There is pain and sadness in it; 

Let the present fill the measure 
With the light and gladness in it! 

Tell me not of hope alluring, — 
Angel fleet that oft deceives us, 

Freely future bliss insuring, 

While in grief and pain she leaves us. 
80 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Let the present be our blessing, — 

Calmly, trustfully enjoy it; 
She will heed not thy caressing, 

If thy doubts and fears alloy it! 

MARBLE — CLOUDED 

Marble is as well known as the Flint or Granite. It, 
too, is more used for buildings and statues than for 
personal adornment, though some varieties combine very 
prettily with other stones. This particular kind signifies 

BE NOT VAIN 

Don't make yourself a mere milliners' dupe, — 
A bow on your breast will bring none to your 
side. 
A heart that's worth having isn't caught in a 
loop; 
Silliness, dear, is the sister of Pride ; — 
And are they not silly who waste half their time 
In pinking themselves most as fine as a fiddle, 
And think that they look super-super sublime 
With waists squeezed like pudding bags tied 
in the middle ? 

Beauty is simple and Fashion is blind 
Or she would take out the tucks of her mind. 
81 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

So take off that trumpery, my love, 

And put on your calico gown, 
For a spirit like yours should be above 

Appearing the Flirt of the Town. 

McDonald Clarke. 

MARBLE — WHITE 

HUMILITY, NOT FAME 

Happy, — happier far than thou, 
With the laurel on thy brow, 
He that makes the humblest hearth 
Lovely but to one on earth. 

Thou hast a charmed cup, O Fame, 
A draught that mantles high, 

And seems to lift this mortal frame 
Above mortality. 

Away ! to me, a woman, bring 

Water from affection's spring. 

Thou hast green laurel leaves that twine 
Into so proud a wreath; — 

For that resplendent gift of thine 
Heroes have smiled in death. 

Give me from some kind hand a flower, 

The record of one happy hour ! 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Thou hast a voice, whose thrilling tone 

Can bid each life-pulse beat, 
As when a trumpet's note hath blown, 

Calling the brave to meet ; 
But mine, let mine, — a woman's breast, — 
By words of home-born love be blest. 

Fame ! Fame ! thou canst not be the stay 

Unto the drooping reed; 
The cool fresh fountain in the day 

Of the soul's feverish need ; 
Where must the lone one turn and flee ? 
Not unto thee,— oh! not to thee! 

Mrs. Hemans. 



MOONSTONE 

The color is white, with bluish and greenish shades, 
semi-transparent and milky. Fine specimens, the size of 
an ordinary bean, are worth from five to ten dollars. It 
is a stone of Warning, becoming clear on fortunate 
days and the reverse on evil ones. 

Moonstones seem to have received a new lease of 
popular favor. There was a time when they were con- 
sidered the luckiest possessions, but fickle fashion 
brought along a new art jewelry, with semi-precious 
stones, set in all sorts of devices, and the moonstone 
suddenly took a back seat. It could not sparkle; it 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

only gleamed faintly, hence the lover of glitter voted it 
out and down. Now, however, it has reappeared in the 
shape of buttons. It signifies Thoughtful Friendship. 



PENSIVENESS 

Friendship! mysterious cement of the soul! 
Sweet'ner of life and solder of Society ! 
I owe thee much. Thou hast deserved of me 
Far, far beyond what I can ever pay 
Oft have I proved the labors of thy love : 
And the warm efforts of the gentle heart, 
Anxious to please. 

Blair. 

A twilight o'er her joyous spirit past, 

A thought lay in her blue, uplifted eye, 
Which o'er its gleam and dewy beauty cast, 

Like the soft, trembling haze of summer's sky. 
'Twas not a thought of gladness, 'twas not 
grief, 

Yet light and shade were blended in the look, 
As moonbeams glancing by the dark green leaf 

Rest with its image in the azure brook. 
It was a face such as the angels love, 

Beneath whose calm and sweet expression lies 
84 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

A thought of earthly things, a hope above, 
A cheerful yielding to life's mysteries. 

Miss E. R. Muntoe. 



NATROLITE 

This has a pearly lustre; colors white, yellowish-white, 
or reddish-brown. On account of its susceptibility of 
high polish, it has been used in jewelry. It signifies 
Exuberance, Hope and Female Friendship. 



FEMALE FRIENDSHIP 

Who knows the joys of friendship 
The trust, security and mutual tenderness 
The double joys, where each is glad for both? 
Friendship our only wealth, our last retreat and 

strength 
Secure against ill fortune and the world. 

Rowe. 

In all the counsel that we two have shared, 
The sister's vows, the hours that we have spent, 
When we have chid the hasty-footed time 
For parting us, — O! and is all forgot? — 
And will you rent our ancient love asunder? 
85 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly; 

Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it; 

Though I alone do feel the injury. 

Shakespeaee. 



NEPHRITIS 

See also Jade* 

YOU AEE FALSE GO ! 

False one, farewell ! thou hast released 
The fire imprisoned in my breast; 
Your beauties make not half the show 
They did a year or two ago ; 

For now I find 
The beauties those fair walls enshrined 
Foul and deformed appear; 
Ah! where 
In woman is a spotless mind? 

I was betrayed by that false sign 
To entertainment cold within; 
But found that fine-built fabric lined 
With so ill-contrived a mind 
86 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

That now I must 
Nevermore trust 
The face that so beguiles 
With smiles! 

Philosophers their pains may spare 
Perpetual motion where to find : 

If such a thing be anywhere, 

'Tis, woman! in thy fickle mind! 

Charles Cotton (1650), 



OBSIDIAN 

Was familiar to the ancients, and is now used par- 
ticularly in mourning jewelry. Its colors are either pure 
black, grayish, brownish or greenish black, yellow, blue 
or white, but seldom red. It is found on most of the 
volcanoes. It signifies Deep Friendship. 

MUTUAL AMITY 

O friendship ! of all things the 
Most rare, and therefore most rare, because most 
Excellent; whose comforts in Misery 
Are always sweet, and whose counsels and 
Prosperity are ever fortunate. 

Liley (1462). 
87 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

The planets of each system represent 
Kind neighbors; mutual amity prevails; 
Sweet interchange of rays, received, returned, 
Enlightening and enlightened! All, at once, 
Attracting, and attracted! Patriot like, 
None sins against the welfare of the whole; 
But their reciprocal, unselfish aid, 
Affords an emblem of millennial love. 
Nothing in nature, much less conscious being, 
Was e'er created solely for itself. 

Young. 

ONYX 

A variety of the Agate employed in the cutting 
of cameos, and is prepared in such a manner that the 
darker layer is cut for the base and the lighter for the 
intended objects. The word is Greek for a finger nail 
and the stone is so called because its color resembles 
that of a well-cared-for finger nail. 

The sard and onyx on one name write 
And from their union spring three colors bright. 
The name of onyx, as grammarians teach, 
Comes from the usage of the Grecian speech. 

It was a great favorite with Roman lawyers, as It was 
supposed to confer the gift of persuasive oratory. 

A very beautiful variety much prized by the Hindoos 
is the Eye onyx, from its resemblance to the human eye. 

88 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

The Asyrians consecrated the stone to their great god 
" Bel." 

It is also called Sardonyx, and the month of Au- 
gust is said to be under its influence. It signifies Con- 
jugal Felicity. 



BECIPROCAL LOVE 

From that day forth, in peace and joyous bliss 
They lived together long without debate; 
Nor private jars, nor spite of enemies 
Could shake the safe assurance of their state. 
Spenser : The Fairy Queen. 

To cheer thy sickness, watch thy health 
Partake, but never waste thy wealth 
Or stand with smile unmurmuring by — 
And lighten half thy poverty. 

Byron : The Bride op Abgdor. 

There's a bliss beyond all that the minstrel has 

told, 
When two, that are linked in one heavenly tie, 
With heart never changing and brow never cold, 
Love on through all ills, and love on till they 

die! 

89 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

One hour of a passion so sacred is worth 
Whole ages of heartless and wandering bliss; 
And oh! if there be an Elysium on earth, 
It is this, it is this. 



T. Moore. 



OPAL 



Color white, yellow, red, brown, green and gray. 
Precious opal is considered a very valuable gem. 
Its value depends upon its size, purity, and the vivid 
color it possesses. Its color is said to fade on the in- 
sincere, the deceitful, and the impure. All that is 
sweet, hopeful and lovely in jewels is its true virtue. 
Although for a time it was considered an unlucky 
stone, it is now held in more popular favor. 

According to the Eastern legend the opal had the 
power of making the wearer beloved of God and man so 
long as he wore it in faith and confidence. The coloring 
of the opal is due to the presence of air and moisture, 
the latter sometimes impregnated with coloring matter 
in its minute fissures. The magical effect of their vivid 
play of color caused them to be looked upon as the 
dwelling places of familiar spirits. 

Tne month of October is said to be under its influ- 
ence. 



90 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



PURE THOUGHTS 

The following poetical fancy about the Birth of the 
Opal is one of the best-known pieces by Ella Wheeler 
Wilcox: 

The Sunbeam loved the Moonbeam 
And followed her low and high, 

But the Moonbeam fled and hid her head 
She was so shy, so shy. 

The Sunbeam wooed with passion — 

Ah! he was a lover bold, 
And his heart was afire, with mad desire, 

For the Moonbeam was pale and cold. 

She fled like a dream before him, 

Her hair was a shining sheen ; 
And oh, that fate would annihilate 

The space that lay between ! 

Just as the day lay panting 

In the arms of the twilight dim, 

The Sunbeam caught the one he sought, 
And drew her close to him. 

And out of his warm arms, startled 
And stirred by love's first shock, 
91 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

She sprang, afraid, like a trembling maid, 
And hid in a niche of rock. 

And the Sunbeam followed and found her 
And led her to love's own feast ; 

And they were wed, on that rocky bed, 
And the dying day was their priest. 

And lo! the beautiful opal, 

That rare and wondrous gem 
Where the Moon and the Sun blend into one, 

Is the child that was born to them. 

Everything about her resembles the purity of 

her soul 
Her face, call it pure, not pale! 

Coleridge: Christabel. 

Unstained and pure 
As is the lily or the mountain snow. 

Thomson. 

Pure thoughts are angel visitants! Be such 
The frequent inmates of thy guileless breast. 

They hallow all things by their sacred touch, 
And ope the portals of the land of rest. 
92 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

By the serene expression of thy face, 

The mellow light that fills thine azure eye, 

We know such guests thine inner temple grace, 
Before whose presence sin and sorrow fly. 

OPAL — THE FIRE 

This is found in Zimapan, Mexico and elsewhere. Its 
color is red. See Opal. 

ADVERSITY CANNOT CRUSH 

A rose of fire shut in a veil of snow, 
An April gleam athwart a misted sky : 

A jewel — a soul! gaze deep if thou wouldst 
know 
The flame-wrought spell of its pale witchery ; 

And now each tremulous beauty lies revealed, 

And now the drifted snow doth beauty shield. 

So my shy love, aneath her kerchief white, 

Holdeth the glamour of the East in fee; 
Warm Puritan — who fears her own delight, 
Who trembleth over that she yieldeth me. 
And now her lips her heart's rich flame hath 

told; 
And now they pale that they have been so bold. 
Ednah Procter Clarke Hayes. 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

I have not quailed to danger's brow- 
When high and happy — need I now ? 

Byron: The Giaour. 

Rough winds may howl about thy path, 
And darkness round thee lie — 

But ever shall thine eye discern 
A rainbow in the sky! 

For on thy heart thou bear'st a charm 
By some good angel given, 

To strengthen thee amid lif e's ills — 
'Tis confidence in Heaven! 

In vain shall adverse fortune strive 

To crush thee 'neath her rod! 
Thou canst defy the hand of fate 
To shake thy trust in God. 

Mrs. C. A. Jerauld. 



OPAL — THE MOSS OR WOOD 

In it appears shapes of branches, trunks, and roots of 
trees. It is found in Hungary and in Transylvania. 
Its color is mostly brownish. It is susceptible of high 
polish, and it means 

94 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

I VALUE THY APPROBATION 

Banish all compliments, but single truth 

From every tongue, and every shepherd's heart, 

Let them use still persuading, but no art. 

Beaumont and Fletcher. 

I do not ask the laurel wreath 
To twine around my brow; 

For ah! with genius' brilliant gifts, 
Come heavy cares, I trow. 

With timid joy I bring to thee 
My weak and humble lays ; 

And if thou wilt commend the gift, 
I seek no other praise. 

I ask but one approving smile, 
One blessing on my name, — 

'Twere dearer to my simple heart 
Than all the dreams of fame. 

Mrs. C. A. Jerauld. 

PEARLS 

Obtained from the western side of the Island of 
Ceylon and many other places. They are white, rose- 
colored and yellow, occasionally of a delicate blue tint, 
95 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

and some are of a golden and silvery hue. They signify 
Innocence, Purity, Humility and a Retiring Spirit. 

There is an ancient belief that they are formed by 
rain-drops falling into the opened oyster shell. Hence 
Tom Moore's lines: 

" Precious the tear as that rain from the sky 
Which turns into pearls as it falls on the sea." 

Pearls have ever been favorites with the poets. Her- 
rick says: 

"Some ask how pearls did grow and where? 
Then spake I to my girl 
To part her lips and show me there 
The quarrelets of pearl." 

Thomas Carew speaks of 

"Teeth of pearl the double guard 
To speech, whence music still is heard." 

Lovelace tells of 

"Her lips like coral gates, kept in 
The perfume and the pearl within," 

and again he describes how 

"Lucasta wept, and still the bright 
Enamored god of day, 
With his soft handkerchief of light 
Kissed the wet pearls away." 

and Shakespeare abounds with references to pearls and 
tears. 



96 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



MODEST LOVELINESS 

" Not to the halls of the wealthy and gay, 
Lead me not thither, I prithee, love, stay ! 
See how the blush mantles over my cheek, 
At the sweet words thou hast ventured to speak. 
What shall I do when the flatterer smiles? 
How shall I answer his treacherous wiles? 
No, let me be love, fi a dweller apart,' 
Strong in the love of thy generous heart ! " 
Wise is thine answer, my beautiful dove, 
Sitting content in the circle of love 
Fold, little trembler, thy fluttering wing, 
Freely partake of love's fathomless spring! 
So hallowed thy presence, the spirit within 
Hath whispered " the angels protect thee from 
sin!" 



PEARL OF THE WHITE BREAST 

From the Irish. 

There's a colleen fair as May, 
For a year and for a day 

I've sought by every way — Her heart to gain. 
There's no art of tongue or eye, 
97 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Fond youths with maidens try, 

But I've tried with ceaseless sigh — Yet tried 

in vain. 
If to France or far-off Spain 
She'd cross the watery main, 
To see her face again — The sea I'd brave. 
And if 'tis Heaven's decree, 
That mine she may not be, 
May the Son of Mary me — in Mercy save ! 

George Petrie. 

PRASE 

It is found in Saxony, Tyrol, Syria, Hartz, and 
the Island of Elba. It assumes a very good polish, 
which it loses on long exposure to the air. Its color is 
garlic green. It is used in Mosaic works, in the fo- 
liage, and likewise in the mounting of rubies to set off 
their color. It is supposed to typify 

SELF-LOVE 

Self-love never yet could look on truth, 
But with bleared beams; sleek flattery and she 
Are twin-born sisters, and so mix their eyes, 
As if you sever one, the other dies. 

Ben Jonson. 

98 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

While in my matchless graces wrapt I stand, 
And touch each feature with a trembling hand ; 
Deign, lovely self! with art and nature's pride, 
To mix the colors and the pencil guide. 
Self is the grand pursuit of half mankind; 
How vast a crowd by self, like me, are blind! 
By self, the fop in magic colors shown 
Though scorned by every eye, delights his own, 
When age and wrinkles seize the conqu'ring 

maid, 
Self, not the glass, reflects the flattering shade. 

Blacklock. 

QUARTZ — ROSE 

It occurs in Sweden, Bavaria, Bohemia and Siberia, 
and also of a beautiful dark color in New Hampshire 
and Massachusetts. Its color is rose-red, and it signifies 
Fortune and Remembrance. 

FORTUNE 

To catch dame fortune's golden smile 

Assiduous wait upon her, 
And gather gear by every wile 

That's justified by honor. 
Not for to hide it in a hedge 

Nor for a train attendant, 
99 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

But for the glorious privilege 
Of being Independent. 

It. Burns. 

REMEMBERED IN PRAYER 

Yes, yes, in the holy hour of prayer, 
With all that is good and true and fair, 

Shall thy name be known! 
I breathe it in every morning prayer, 
It breaks the hush of the evening air, 
The angels repeat it with rapture, where 

They circle the starry throne! 

ROCK CRYSTAL 

Is found in the highlands of Tyrol and Switzer- 
land, Madagascar, Dauphiny, Cornwall, Hungary, Scot- 
land, Ceylon and Siberia, also in the United States. 
It is translucent and transparent; perfect vitreous 
lustre; is limpid white, brown, black and yellow. It 
is used for bracelets, rings, seals, etc. The Rock Crystal 
was much used in divination. Some specimens are found 
containing drops of water, which move as the stone is 
turned about, from which doubtless arose the idea of 
its magical nature. The surgeons of the days of Pliny 
used crystals to concentrate the rays of them for the 
purpose of cauterization and the priests as burning 
lenses to light the sacrificial fires, the flame thus kindled 
being called the fire of Vesta. There are specimens 
which contain hair-like substances and are called 

100 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Thetis's Hair-stone, Venus's Pencils, Cupid's Net, Cu- 
pid's Arrows, etc. Its signification is 

THOU ART CHILDLIKE IN PURITY 

'Twas thy high purity of soul — 

Thy thought-revealing eye, 
That placed me spell-bound at thy feet, 

Sweet wanderer from the sky. 

Willis G. Clark. 

— If thou wert sent 
To wake unholy wishes in this heart, 
Or tempt its truth, thou little know'st the art; 
For though thy lips should sweetly counsel 

wrong, 
Those vestal eyes would disavow the wrong; 
I would far sooner stop the unchained dove, 
When swift returning to its home of love, 
And round its snowy wings new fetters twine, 
Than turn from virtue one pure wish of thine. 

T. Moore. 

ROCK OF GIBRALTAR 

It is found only in the rock from which it takes its 
name. It receives a high polish; is mostly striped, 
yellowish-white, yellow and brownish. It stands for 
what its source represents. 

101 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

FIRMNESS 

Come one, Come all, this rock shall fly 
From its firm base as soon as I! 

Sir W. Scott. 

Be firm ! — whatever tempts thy soul 
To loiter ere it reach its goal, 
Whatever siren voice would draw 
Thy heart from duty and its law, 
Oh that distrust ! Go gravely on, 
And, till the victor-crown be won, 
Be firm! 

Firm when thy conscience is assailed, 
Firm when the star of Hope is veiled, 
Firm in defying wrong and sin, 
Firm in life's conflict, toil and din, 
Firm in the path by martyrs trod, — 
And or, in love to man and God 
Be firm! 

Miss S. C. Edgarton. 

RUBY 

This ranks next to the diamond. It is found in the 
sands of rivers and among alluvial matter in Ceylon. 
Its color is rose-red. 

102 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

No stone has been more intimately connected with 
poetry and romance and few gems can compare either 
in beauty or value with a perfect ruby. Solomon de- 
clared that " a virtuous woman was more valuable than 
rubies," and Job, that "the price of wisdom is above 
rubies." The ruby was a favorite gage d'amour in the 
time of the Crusaders, and Scott's "The Talisman" 
pivots on a marvellous specimen. The Chevalier Bayard 
was awarded a ruby ring by The Queen of the Tourna- 
ment, and Queen Elizabeth blessed or cursed the Earls 
of Suffolk and of Essex with this gem as a token of 
her affectionate esteem, which led to the scaffold! 

Ruby lips is a common metaphor with the poets. 
Herrick says: 

" I do love a girl 
Ruby-lipped and tooth'd with pearl." 

And Spenser says: 

" 'Twixt the pearls and rubies softly brake 
A silver sound that heavenly music seemed to make." 

If the ruby changes color and becomes darker it is 
supposed to predict misfortune to the wearer. 

The Chinese bury bags of small rubies under the 
foundations of their houses to propitiate evil spirits. 

It signifies Brilliant Success, Divine Power, Love, 
Dignity, Charity, and promotes forget fulness of all the 
ills of love and life. 

COURAGE AND SUCCESS IN DANGEROUS AND HAZ- 
ARDOUS ENTERPRISE 

High heart, that bendeth not to adverse fate, — 
That scorneth danger in its giant forms, — 
103 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

'Mid mournful ruins most sublimely great, 
Thou courtest destiny's severest storms! 

A noble ship upon a threat'ning sea, 

Furling its sails before the angry blast, 

But changing not its course — is type of thee ! 
Thou boldly movest on when once the storm 
has passed! 

RUBY BALAS 

A variety of spinelle (which see), pale-red, rose-red, 
with sometimes a tinge in the brownish or violet. It 
signifies 

DIGNITY 

True dignity is never gained by place 
And never lost when honors are withdrawn. 

Massinger. 

divine power 

He who reigns on high 
Upholds the earth, and spreads abroad the sky. 
With none His name and power will He divide, 
For He is God and there is none beside. 

James Montgomery. 
104 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



DOMESTIC HAPPINESS 

Domestic happiness, thou only bliss 
Of Paradise that has survived the fall ! 
Cowper: The Task. 

The earth hath treasures fair and bright, 

Deep buried in her caves, 
And ocean hideth many a gem, 

With its blue curling waves. 
Yet not within her bosom dark, 

Or 'neath the dashing foam, 
Lies there a treasure equalling 

A world of love at home. 
The friends whom time hath proved sincere,. 

'Tis they alone can bring 
A sure relief to hearts that droop 

'Neath sorrow's heavy wing. 
Though care and trouble may be mine, 

As down life's path I roam, 
I'll heed them not while still I have 

A world of love at home. 

J. J. Reynolds. 



105 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



SAPPHIRE 

This ranks, with the ruby, next to the diamond, and 
is also found in Ceylon. Its color is blue, but there are 
red, green, violet, yellow, and asteriated varieties. 

Its name is identical in many languages — thus in Greek 
Zapphorus, in Latin Sapphorus, and in Hebrew Sap- 
phir. It has always been associated with things sacred. 
The first tables of the Law given to Moses were said 
to be of sapphire. It held a conspicuous place on the 
breastplate of Aaron and is the gem of gems among 
the Jews. It is held to be an antidote to melancholy 
and to confer continency. A Sapphire Ring is invaria- 
bly given to a Cardinal on his investiture. 

It was anciently called Hyacinthus, from the resem- 
blance of its color to the blue fleur-de-lis, and fabled to 
have sprung from the blood of Apollo's favorite. 

It signifies Heavenly Faith, Innocence, Virtue, Truth, 
Constancy, Contemplation and Good Works. 



INNOCENCE 

Nursed by the virtues she hath been 
From childhood hour. 

FlTZGREENE HaLLECK. 

I bring no gift of passion — I breathe no tone 

of love, 
But the freshness and the purity of a feeling 

for above — 

106 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

I love to turn to thee, fair girl, as one within 

whose heart 
Earth hath no stain of vanity, and fickleness 

no part. 

Save but to one familier friend thy heart its 

veil should wear, 
The faithless vow be all unheard — the flattery 

wasted there, 
Heeding the homage of the vain as lightly as 

some star 
Whose steady radiance changes not, though 

thousands kneel afar! 

Anonymous. 



SAPPHIRE — THE CAT 

Its color is blackish or greenish-blue, often not trans- 
parent. It belongs to the family of Sapphires, though 
less valuable than some of them. See also Sapphire. It 
signifies 



HEAVENLY FAITH 

Faith lights us through the dark to Deity 
Whilst without sight, we witness that she shows 
107 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

More God than in His works our eyes can see 
Though none but by those works the Gfcdhead 
knows. 

Sir Wm. Davenant. 

affability 

For seldom yet did living creature see 
That courtesie and manhood ever disagree. 

Spenser: The Fairy Queen. 

So gently blinding courtesy and art 
That wisdom's lips seem'd borrowing friend- 
ship's heart. 

O. W. Holmes. 

Thou meet'st me with a kindly welcome ever — 
Thy pride subdued by every winning grace! 
And in thy gracious presence, fear hath never 
Passed with its shadows o'er one sunny face. 

I dread no cold repulse, no distant greeting, 

No look of calm indifference to chill, 

But count the hours which bring the distant 

meeting, 
While hope and memory join to bless thee still. 
108 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



SARDOIN 

Sardoin is a variety of carnelian, which exhibits, by- 
reflected light, a dull reddish-brown color, but by trans- 
mitted light appears of a rich blood-red. It means 

CONJUGAL FELICITY 

All of a tenor was their after-lip, 
No day discolor'd with domestic strip; 
No jealousy, but mutual truth believ'd, 
Secure repose, and kindness undeceiv'd. 

Dryden : Palamon and Aecite. 

I bless thee for kind looks and words, 

Showered on my path like dew, 
For all the love in those deep eyes, 

A gladness ever new! 

For the voice which ne'er to mine replied 

But in kindly tones of cheer; 
For every spring of happiness 

My soul hath tasted here! 

Mrs. Hemans. 



109 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 
SATIN GYPSUM 

This stone bears the greatest resemblance to the Satin 
Spar, and is much used for the same kind of ornamental 
purposes. It is abundant all over the world. It stands 
for 

FIRST LOVE 

O the days are gone, when beauty bright 

My heart-chain wove: 
Why my dream of life from morn till night, 

Was love, still love! 
New hope may bloom, and days may come, 

Of milder beam, 
But there's nothing half so sweet in life, 

As Love's young dream! 

Thomas Moore. 

Oh! love — love well, but only once! for never 

shall the dream 
Of hopeful youth return again on life's dark 

rolling stream; 
No love can match the early one which young 

affection nursed; 
Oh, no — the one you love the best is she you 

loved the first. 

110 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Once lost — that gladsome vision past — a 

fairer form may rise, 
And eyes whose lustre mocks the light of starry 

southern skies; 
But vainly seek you to enshrine the charmer 

in your breast, 
For still the one you loved the first is she you 

loved the best. 

Hon. Mrs. Norton. 



SATIN SPAR 

The colors are snow-white, yellowish-white, or pale-red. 
The finest specimens are found in England, Hungary 
and the United States. It takes a fine polish and is 
much used in jewelry. It typifies Constancy. 

I SHALL NOT CEASE TO LOVE THEE 

There is nothing but death 

Our affections can sever 
And till Life's latest breath 

Love shall bind us for ever. 

Percival. 



Ill 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Keep if thou wilt thy maiden peace, still calm 
and fancy free, 

For God forbid thy gladsome heart should grow 
less glad for me! 

But while that heart is still unwon, oh, bid not 
mine to rove, 

Let it move on in humble faith, in uncomplain- 
ing love, 

If these preserved through patient years at last 
avail me not, 

Forget me then, but do not think that thou 
canst be forgot! 

J. N. Moultrie. 

SERPENTINE 

So called from its frequent resemblance to the skin 
of the serpent. The finer kinds, called precious or noble 
serpentine, are translucent and of different shades of 
rich green, varying from a pale to a rich dark hue. 

It is not inappropriately held to signify 

BEAUTY 

There is no star in heaven so bright 

As that dark eye of thine ; 
The gems that gild the crown of night, 

With paler lustre shine! 
112 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

I'd leave the fairest thing of art, 

To gaze upon that face 
And faultless form, whose every part 

Is redolent of grace. 

Thy step is like the wild gazelle's, 

As firm, as light, as free; 
And Beauty, like a spirit, dwells, 

Enchanting girl, with thee! 

And oh, what could one ever view 

That face and form divine, 
Nor feel, when first that smile he knew, 

His heart was wholly thine. 

Anon. 

SLATE 

Is too common to call for any description, and has 
been but little used for personal adornment, but when 
so used it is held to typify 

YOU ARE CROSS (ANGER), SCORN, HAUGHTINESS 

Consider, fair maid, and endeavour 
To conquer that scorn in thy breast; 

It is not a haughty behaviour 

Will set off thy charms at the best. 
113 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

The ocean, when calm, may delight you, 
But should a bold tempest arise, 

The billows enraged would affright you; 
Loud objects of awful surprise! 

'Tis thus when good humor diffuses 
Its beams o'er the face of a fair, 

With rapture his heart a man loses, — 
While frowns turn love to despair. 

John Cunningham (1700). 



SPINELLE 

(See Ruby Balas.) — Its color is red with many shad- 
ings of blue, brown, and yellow. Lustre, color, and 
hardness have made the Spinelle a favorite gem. It is 
found in Ceylon and in various parts of the United 
States. It stands for 



PERFECT CONTENT 

Content dwells with him, for his mind is fed 
And temperance has driven out unrest. 

N. P. Willis. 

Her heart content 
She knew not what the spleen or vapors meant. 

Dryden. 
114 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

O my soul's joy! 
If after every tempest come such calms, 
May the winds blow till they have wakened 
death! 

If I were not to die, 
'Twere now to be most happy ; for I fear 
My soul hath her content so absolute, 
That not another comfort like to this 
Succeeds in unknown fate! 

Shakespeare. 

SUNSTONE 

A variety of Adularia, shows a yellow and reddish 
play of colors. It signifies 

FREEDOM OE THOUGHT 

Stone walls do not a prison make 

Nor iron bars a cage: 
Minds innocent and quiet take 

That for a heritage : 
If I have freedom in my love, 

And in my soul am free 
Angels alone, that soar above, 

Enjoy such liberty. 

Lovelace: To Althea. 
115 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Thought should be free as fire or mind; 
The pinions of a single mind 

Will through all nature fly: 
But who can drag up to the poles 
Long fettered ranks of leaden souls? 
A genius which no chain controls 

Roves with delight, or deep or high; 
Swift I survey the globe around, 
Dive to the centre through the solid ground, 

Or travel o'er the sky. 

Watts. 

TOPAZ 

Its color is white, green, yellow, and blue, in 
pale shades. It is found in almost all parts of the 
world. It is constantly alluded to in the Bible and was 
one of the precious stones in the breastplate of the 
High Priest. It was also known as the chrysolite or 
"golden stone." 

Under the influence of great heat it changes color 
and becomes highly electric, hence many fabulous prop- 
erties and powers were attributed to it. 

The Cairngorm of Scotland, so often alluded to in 
Scottish literature, is a Topaz. 

It means Faithfulness, Friendship and Goodness of 
God; Justice tempered with Mercy. It is said to pre- 
vent melancholy and to be symbolical of Fruitfulness. 
The month of November is supposed to be under its 
influence. 

116 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



FIDELITY 

When other bays have crowned thee, 

And other hearts are thine; 
When other bays have crowned thee, 

More fresh and green than mine ; — 
Then think how sad and lonely 

This wretched heart will be; 
Which, while it beats — beats only, 

Beloved one ! for thee ! 

Yet do not think I doubt thee; 

I know thy truth remains; 
I would not live without thee 

For all the world contains. 
Thou art the star that guides me 

Along life's troubled sea; — 
Whatever fate betides me, 

This heart still turns to thee. 

G. P. Morris. 

TOPAZ — BOHEMIAN 

It is of a pale gold-white, lemon-yellow, or brownish- 
yellow. It is a variety of the Rock Crystal, and is 
found in the same localities. See also Topaz and Rock 
Crystal. It stands for Fidelity. 

117 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



MERCY 

Hate shuts her soul when dove-eyed Mercy 
pleads. 

Speague. 

In mercy and justice both, 
Through heaven and earth, so shall my glory 

excel, 
But mercy first and last shall brightest shine. 
Milton's Paradise Lost. 

fidelity 

Pure as the snow the summer sun 

Never at noon hath looked upon — 

Deep as is the diamond wave, 

Hidden in the desert cave — • 

Changeless as the greenest leaves 

Of the wreath the cypress weaves — 

Hopeless, often when most fond — 

Without hope or fear beyond 

Its own pale fidelity — 

And this woman's love can be. 

L. E. Landon. 



118 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



MYSTERIOUS MEMORIES 

Into our serious thoughts they sometimes glide, 
But seek no resting place, and soon depart. 
Whence are they ? — borne on what mysterious 

tide 
Through the still chambers of the throbbing 

heart ? 

They wear no shape, but only fragments seem 
Of some far-distant world that lies behind, 
So closely shrouded that a transient gleam 
Alone escapes to wake the restless mind. 
Here we, in some more favored world than this, 
Sojourned awhile ere called to earthly scenes? 
And are these glimpses memories of the bliss 
Which the long struggling spirit sometimes 
gleans ? 



TOURMALINE — APYRITE 

(See also Bottlestone.) — Is of a carmine or hyacinth- 
red, purple, rose-red and violet. Sometimes, by looking 
through in one direction, the red color changes to the 
blue. It typifies 



119 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 



GENEROSITY 

A generous soul is sunshine to the mind. 

Sir Robert Howard. 

'Tis not enough to help the feeble up, 
But to support him after. 

Shakespeare: Timon op Athens. 

Thy hand is open as the flowers 

Which drink the night's refreshing dew, 
And lib'ral as the summer showers, 

Which nature's faded charms renew. 
There is no mean, contracted thought, 
Into thy spirit's texture wrought! 
Though wealth's rich stream hath never flowed 

Along thy bright but toilsome way, 
What was thine own hath been bestowed 

As freely as the light of day. 
Wealth might have proved a subtle snare 
Blotting thy spirit's record fair. 

TURQUOISE 

This stone is blue or green, often bright. It 
is found in Persia, either in pebbles or small veins. 
120 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

See also Chiysophrase and Malachite. It is said to be 
a Cheerer of the Soul. It grows pale when worn in 
sickness and loses color at death of the wearer. Thus 
it gives warning of evil. It is employed as an emblem 
of prosperity. In Germany it is much prized as an 
engagement ring, for the lovers believe that inconstancy 
will be immediately reflected in the fickle one's jewel. 
The oriental proverb says "that the Turquoise given by 
a loving hand carries with it happiness and good for- 
tune," and another " that the Turquoise pales when the 
well being of the giver is in danger." The month of De- 
cember is supposed to be under its influence. 

THE MOST BRILLIANT SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS IN 
LIFE 

When fortune smiles 
Be doubly cautious. 

Sophocles. 
Prosperity's the very bond of love 
Whose fresh complexion and whose heart to- 
gether 
Afflictions alter. 

Shakespeare: A Winter's Tale. 

No shadow rests upon the brilliant scene, 

That spreads before thee! Disappointment 
veils 
Its sombre visage, — Hope, with brow serene, 
121 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Allures thy feet to flower enamelled vales, 
Nor leaves thee there, but paints the distant view 
Still lovelier, sparkling with refreshing dew! 

Love, the celestial atmosphere, will shroud 
Thy gladsome spirit, and the voice of song 

Shall be thy chosen utterance, and the cloud 
Which doth not to thine azure sky belong — 

Though fringed with gold — shall, noiseless, 
melt away, 

Nor dim the noon-tide splendor of thy day! 



TURQUOISE — OCCIDENTAL 

Is either dark-blue, light-blue or bluish-green. It does 
not admit of so high a polish as the Oriental Turquoise. 
It is found in Siberia, Languedoc in France, and some 
other places. It signifies 



TRITE RICHES 

My purse is very slim, and very few 
The acres that I number: 
But I am seldom stupid, never blue ; 
My riches are an honest heart and true 
And quiet slumber. 

Epes Sargent. 
122 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Hast thou loved in the good man's path to tread, 

And bent o'er the sufferer's lowly bed? 

Hast thou sought on the buoyant wings of 

prayer, 
A peace which the faithless may not share? 
Do thy hopes all tend to the spirit-land, 
And the love of a bright, unspotted band? 
Are these thy treasures ! Oh, bliss untold, 
Thou hast wealth that mocketh all gems and 

gold! 

VERMEILLE OR APLOME 

A variety of the Garnet, with a deep shade of orange- 
yellow. The value of the Garnet is determined by the 
degree of perfection as well as color, purity and size. 
It signifies 

AMIABILITY 

While I sit with thee, I seem in heaven, 
And sweeter thy discourse is to my ear 
Than fruits of palm-tree pleasantest to thirst 
And hunger both — from labor at the hour 
v Of sweet repast. 

Milton's Paradise Lost. 



123 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

How softly from her silver accents fell 
The winning words of wisdom, and we knew 
Such thoughts within her spirit's depths to dwell, 
As angels nurture with celestial dew! 

Nor loveliest 'mid the beautiful and gay, 
Though there the cynosure of watchful eyes, 
But sweetly moving in life's shaded way, 
She shed serenest light on clouded skies ! 



ZIRCON 

Is fire-red, yellowish-green, and gray. It is found in 
all parts of the world and is sometimes called Hyacinth. 
It is supposed to have hypnotic influence and to induce 
visions. It signifies 

RESPECT 

I ask, that I might waken reverence, 
And bid the cheek be ready with the blush 
Modest as morning when she coldly eyes 
The youthful Phoebus! 

Shakespeare. 



1M 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 



THE LANGUAGE AND SENTIMENT OF GEMS 
AND PRECIOUS STONES. 

Absence Fluorspar. 

Adversity cannot crush thee . Fire Opal. 

Affability Cat Sapphire. 

Amiability Vermeille. 

Approbation Moss Opal. 

Arts Lapis Lazuli. 

Attachment Bohemian Diamond. 

Beauty Serpentine. 

Be not vain Clouded Marble. 

Brilliant Success Ruby. 

Capricious love Labrador. 

Changeable disposition . . ..Hornstone. 

Charity Chrysoberyl. Ruby. 

Child-like purity Rock Crystal. 

Conjugal love Onyx. 

Constancy Agate {Fortification), Am- 
azon Stone, Garnet, Sap- 
phire, Spinelle. 

Contentment Cornelian. 

Contemplation Sapphire. 

Courage Bloodstone. 

Danger Cafs-Eye. 

Despair Striped Jasper. 

125 



LANGUAGE, SENTIMENT AND 

Dignity Ruby. 

Disappointment Chrysolite. 

Disdain A mber. 

Divine Power Ruby. 

Domestic happiness Ruby Balas. 

Faith Sapphire. 

Faithfulness Emerald, Amethyst, Lava, 

Topaz. 

Felicity Garnet. 

Fidelity Bohemian Topaz. 

Firmness Rock of Gibraltar Stone. 

First emotions of love Satin Gypsum. 

Fortune Rose Quartz. 

Freedom Emerald, Sunstone. 

Friendship Cornelian. 

Friendship early Amazon Stone, Topaz, 

Friendship, female Natrolite. 

Friendship, true Garnet. 

Friendship unchanging .... Natrolite. 

Generosity Tourmaline, Freestone. 

Good works Sapphire. 

Happy love Emerald. 

Hard-hearted Flint. 

Health The Agate. 

Hope A quamarine. 

Humility Opal, Jasper, Pearls, White 

Marble. 

I live in the past Lepidolite. 

I shall not cease to love you. Satin Spar. 

126 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Innocence Pearls. 

Innocent love Red Granite. 

Joy Diamond. 

Justice Idocrase. Topaz. 

Leadership Cornelian. 

Life Diamond. 

Long life The Agate. 

Love Ruby. 

Love's ambition Cachelong. 

Marriage, a poor Hyanite. 

Married happiness Sardoin. 

Mental beauty Corundum, or Diamond. 

Spar. 

Mirth Egyptian Pebble. 

Modesty and purity Opal. 

Mourning Jet. 

Mystery Atinite. 

Nobility of character Lapis Lazuli. 

Patience Chrysoberyl. 

Pride Diamond. 

Prosperity Carnelian, Onyx. 

Pure and lovely Jasper, Opal. 

Purity A lab aster, Diamonds, 

Pearls. 

Remembrance Jade, Rose Quartz. 

Resignation Egyptian Jasper. 

Respect Zircon. 

Riches Occidental Turquoise. 

in 



POETRY OF PRECIOUS STONES 

Sadness The Agate, 

Safety Coral. 

Self-love Prase. 

Silent love Chlorophane. 

Sincerity Amethyst. 

Success everywhere Turquoise. 

Sun of my life Hypersthane. 

Suspicion Bottle Stone. 

Thoughtful friendship. . . . Moonstone. 

Truth The Rainbow Agate, Ky- 

anite. 

Unfortunate love Jade. 

Victory Beryl. 

Warning of danger Moonstone. 

Welcome Apyrite. 

Wisdom Bloodstone. 

You are false! Nephritis. 



128 



NOV 9 1912 



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